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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2010 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/picturesquemexicOOwrig 




SeSor General Don Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico. 



PICTURESQUE 



MEXICO 



BY 



,/ 



MARIE ROBINSON WRIGHT 



O^ 



PHILADELPHIA ^-!i^ V ^ 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 



^% 






2185 



COPYRIGHT, 1897, 

BY 

MARIE ROBINSON WRIGHT. 




TO 

SENOR GENERAL DON PORFIRIO DIAZ, 

THE ILLUSTRIOUS PRESIDENT OF MEXICO, 

WHOSE INTREPID MORAL CHARACTER, DISTINGUISHED STATESMANSHIP, AND DEVOTED PATRIOTISM 
MAKE HIM THE PRIDE AND GLORY OF HIS COUNTRY, 

lis 2)eMcate& 

THIS VOLUME, DESCRIBING A BEAUTIFUL AND PROSPEROUS LAND, 

WHOSE FREE FLAG NEVER WAVED OVER A SLAVE, 

AND WHOSE IMPORTANCE AS A NATION 

IS DUE TO THE PATRIOT 

UNDER 

WHOSE ADMINISTRATION MEXICO NOW FLOURISHES AND HOLDS ITS PROUD POSITION 

AMONG THE REPUBLICS OF THE WORLD. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I PAGE 

Ancient History of Mexico 17 

CHAPTER II 
The Aztec Civilization 32 

CHAPTER III 
Mexico in General 40 

CHAPTER IV 
Customs and Characteristics .... 45 

CHAPTER V 
In Mexico City 59 

CHAPTER VI 
Churches and Shrines 67 

CHAPTER VII 
Sight-Seeing in Mexico City .... 74 

CHAPTER VIII 
The Markets and Chapultepec .... 81 

CHAPTER IX 
The Mexican Independence Day .... 87 

CHAPTER X 
General Porfirio Diaz 92 

CHAPTER XI 
The Ministers of the Cabinet .... 104 

CHAPTER XII 
The Ladies of the Cabinet 118 

CHAPTER XIII 
The Jockey Club 122 



CHAPTER XIV PAGE 

La Viga and the Suburbs . . . . ■ ^-S 

CHAPTER XV 
The State of Mexico 129 

CHAPTER XVI 
Hidalgo 140 

CHAPTER XVII 
Tlaxcala 149 

CHAPTER XVIII 
Puebla 157 

CHAPTER XIX 
Oaxaca !73 

CHAPTER XX 
Vera Cruz 186 

CHAPTER XXI 
Tamaulipas 199 

CHAPTER XXII 
Nuevo Leon 205 

CHAPTER XXIII 

Coahuila . -'2 

CHAPTER XXIV 
Chihuahua 220 

CHAPTER XXV 
Durango 231 

CHAPTER XXVI 

San Luis Potosi 236 

7 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER XXVII 



Zacatecas 



PAGE 

245 



CHAPTER XXVIII 
Aguas Calientes 251 



CHAPTER XXIX 



QUERETARO 



254 



CHAPTER XXX 
Guanajuato ........ 260 

CHAPTER XXXI 
Jalisco 271 

CHAPTER XXXII 
Colima 284 



CHAPTER XXXIII 



Tepic 



SiNALOA 



CHAPTER XXXIV 



289 



297 



CHAPTER XXXV 

SONORA . 302 

CHAPTER XXXVI 
Baja California 309 

CHAPTER XXXVII 

MiCHOACAN 315 



CHAPTER XXXVIII 



Guerrero 



330 



CHAPTER XXXIX ^^^^ 

Morelos 336 



CHAPTER XL 



Chiapas 



CHAPTER XLI 



Campeche 



345 



352 



CHAPTER XLII 
Tabasco 358 

CHAPTER XLIII 
Yucatan 363 

CHAPTER XLIV 

Cities and Inhabitants ; Peculiarities of the 
Indians ; Some Noble Families ; Literature 
OF Mexico ; Folk-Lore 380 

CHAPTER XLV 
Natural Advantages 395 



CHAPTER XLVI 
Mineral Resources 



412 



CHAPTER XLVI 
Railroads and Telegraphs 419 



CHAPTER XLVIII 
Financial and Business Outlook . 

CHAPTER XLIX 
Mexico as a Whole . . . . 



430 



437 



CHAPTER L 
General Suggestions 441 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Senor General Don Porfirio Diaz, President of 

Mexico Frontispiece 

Hidalgo iS 

Benito Juarez 21 

Senor General Don Mariano Escobedo 22 

Senor General Don Ramon Corona 25 

Tomb of Juarez 28 

The National Palace 3° 

The Cathedral 33 

Sacrificial Stone 35 

Calendar Stone 37 

Correctional School, City of Mexico 4° 

Fountain in the Alameda, City of Mexico 41 

Entrance to the Paseo de la Reforma 41 

In Riding Costume— Charo Suits 42 

Entrance to the Alameda, City of Mexico 42 

Hall of Ambassadors, in the National Palace ... 43 

Statue of Columbus, on the Paseo 44 

Patio of the National School 45 

Patio of the National Preparatory School .... 46 

A Bull-Fight 47 

Fountain of the Salto dr Agua 49 

Commercial School 5° 

Patio of a School 5^ 

Juarez Avenue 53 

An Indian Girl 54 

Plaza de Santo Domingo 55 

Seller of Petates 5^ 

Seller of Fowls 5^ 

Indian from the Mountains 57 

Senor Don Rafael Rebolla, Governor of the Federal 

District 59 

Aqueduct of Belem 61 

Carriage-Road to the Castle of Chapultepec .... 62 

Patio of a Private Residence in the City of Mexico 63 

A Stairway in the Municipal Palace 64 

Street Scene, Cinco de Mayo, showing the National 

Theatre in the Distance 65 

The Crown of the Virgin of Guadalupe 67 

The Holy Well at Guadalupe 69 

The Shrine of Guadalupe 7° 



La Santisima Church 72 

The National Museum 75 

El Monte de Piedad ^^ 

Statue of Cuautemoc, on the Paseo 78 

The Noche Triste Tree 79 

The Arcades 81 

The Gateway to Chapultepec 82 

The Castle of Chapultepec 83 

One of the large Cypress-Trees in the Grove of 

Chapultepec 84 

Sala in the Palace of Chapultepec 85 

Independence Day, i6th of September 88 

The Liberty Bell. — 1810 89 

Rurales on the i6th of September 90 

National Library 95 

The Palace of Mines 100 

Lie. Don Ignacio Mariscal, Secretary of Foreign Af- 
fairs '°4 

Salon of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs .... 105 
General Don Manuel Gonzalez Cosio, Secretary of 

THE Interior 10^ 

Senor Don Josfe Ives Limantour, Secretary of the 

Treasury i°7 

General Don Francisco Z. Mena, Secretary of Com- 
munications and Public Works loS 

General Don Felipe Berriozabal, Secretary of War 

and the Navy '°9 

Lieutenant-Colonel Don Manuel Mondragon, In- 
ventor of the Famous Gun, which he presented 

to the Mexican Government no 

Lie. Don Joaquin Baranda, Secretary of Public In- 
struction '" 

National Preparatory School 112 

Academy of San Carlos 112 

Patio of the Conservatory of Music "3 

Don I55IGO Manuel Fernandez Leal, Secretary of 

Encouragement i'4 

General Pedro Hinojosa, President of Military Court i 15 

Senor Don Manuel Romero Rubio 116 

Senora DoSa Carmen Romero Rubio de Diaz, the 

Wife of the President of Mexico 118 

9 



lO 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Senora Ignacio de la Torre, Daughter of the Presi- 
dent . 119 

Senorita Luz Diaz, Daughter of the President. . . 119 

Captain Porfirio Diaz 120 

Senora Mariscal 120 

Senora Limantour 121 

Senora Cosio 121 

General Pedro Rincon Gallardo, President of the 

Jockey Club 122 

Patio of the Jockey Club 123 

Corridor of the Jockey Club 123 

Sala in the Jockey Club 124 

The Viga Canal 126 

Indian Way of Carrying Children 127 

Senor Gobernador-General Josfe Vicente Villada . . 129 

Village of Tlapacozo 131 

Garden and Palace in Toluca 134 

CUMBRE DE LAS CrUCES, THE PLACE WHERE A GREAT 

Battle was fought 137 

Senor Gobernador-General Rafael Cravioto .... 140 

Hacienda de la PurIsima, in Pachuca 141 

Hacienda of San Buenaventura 142 

Statue of Hidalgo 143 

Mine of Real del Monte 144 

The Governor's Palace 145 

ZocALO IN Real del Monte 147 

Omitlan 148 

Senor Gobernador Coronel Prospero Cohorantzi . . 149 

Governor's Palace in Tlaxcala 150 

La Parroquia 151 

An Archway in Tlaxcala 152 

Sacred Well of Ocotlan 153 

The First Pulpit in Mexico 155 

Principal Street, Tlaxcala 156 

Senor General Don Mucio P. Martinez, Governor of 

PuEBLA 157 

Se5jor Licenciado Don Agustin Fernandez, Secretary 

of State, Puebla 158 

Interior of Cathedral in Puebla 159 

Cathedral of Puebla 160 

Panorama of Puebla 161 

A Country Road in Puebla, showing Popocatepetl . 162 

Penitentiary of Puebla 162 

Cholula Pyramid 163 

La Maternidad, in Puebla 164 

ZocALO of Puebla 165 

Scene in Puebla 166 

Street in Puebla 168 

Ixtaccihuatl 169 

Scene near Puebla, State of Puebla . . , 170 

Portal de Flores, Puebla 171 

Senor General Don Martin Gonzalez, Governor of 

Oaxaca 173 



A Beauty of Tehuantepec 174 

The Big Tree at Tula 175 

The Cathedral of Oaxaca 177 

Ruins of the Temple of Mitla 17S 

Palace of the Governor 179 

The Great Cotton-Mills of Oaxaca iSo 

Ancient Pillars at Mitla 181 

Temple of La Soledad 182 

Stone Carving at Mitla 184 

The Juarez Garden ...... 185 

Senor Gobernador Don Teodora Dehesa 187 

The Port of Vera Cruz 1S8 

Waterfall, Barrio Nuevo 189 

Governor's Palace at Jalapa 190 

Cascade of Rincon Grande 191 

Hacienda of San Antonio, in Vera Cruz 192 

Park and Theatre in Orizaba 193 

Municipal Palace at Cordoba 154 

Drying Coffee 195 

Coffee Ranch in Vera Cruz 195 

Alameda in Vera Cruz 197 

SeSor Lie. Guadalupe Mainero, Governor of Tamau- 

LIPAS igg 

Market at Tampico 201 

Landing at Tampico 202 

The Liberty Square, Tampico 203 

Plaza, Tampico 204 

Senor General Bernardo Reyes, Governor of Nuevo 

Leon 205 

Saddle Mountain 206 

San Pedro Mines, Diente Canon, near Monterey . . 206 

Statue of Hidalgo 207 

Swan-Pond in the Alameda Porfirio Diaz, Monterey 208 

Street Scene in Monterey 209 

Alameda, Monterey 209 

Topo Chico Hot Springs, Monterey 210 

Canal in Monterey . 211 

Se55or Lie. Miguel Cardenas, Governor of Coahuila . 213 

City of Saltillo 214 

Plaza de San Francisco, Saltillo , . 215 

Portales, Saltillo 216 

Penitentiary, Saltillo 217 

Park Zaragoza, Saltillo 218 

Senor Coronel Don Miguel Ahumada, Governor of 

Chihuahua 220 

The Arch of the Alameda, Chihuahua 221 

The Palace, Chihuahua 222 

The Cathedral, Chihuahua 223 

Interior of the Palace, Chihuahua 224 

The Bridge of San Francisco, Chihuahua 225 

Part of the Archway of an Old Aqueduct, Chi- 
huahua 226 

Hidalgo's Prison, Chihuahua 227 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



II 



PAGE 

Monte de Piedad, Chihuahua 229 

Senor General Don Juan M. Flores, Governor of 

DURANGO 231 

Tunal, the Great Cotton-Mills oe Durango, Duranco 232 
Public Washing-Place for the Indian Women, State 

of Durango 232 

A Mountain of Solid Iron, Durango 233 

Casa of Maximilian Damm, Durango 234 

The Principal Street, Durango 235 

Senor General Don Carlos Diez Gutierrez, Governor 

of San Luis PoTosf 237 

Palace of the Governor, San Luis PoTosf 238 

Church and Fountain at Guadalupe ........ 240 

Cascade del Salto, San Luis Potosi 241 

The Grand Theatre " La Paz," San Luis Potosi . . 243 

Senor General Jesus Arechiga, Governor of Zacatecas 245 

The Cathedral, Zacatecas 246 

A General View of Z.acatecas . . . 247 

The Theatre Calderon, Zacatecas 248 

The Little Plaza of Villareal, Zacatecas 249 

The Church of Guadalupe, Zacatecas 250 

Senor Don Rafael Arellano, Governor of Aguas 

Calientes 251 

Street Scene in Aguas Calientes . 252 

Kiosk in the Park of San Marcos, Aguas Calientes . 252 

Temple of San Marcos, Aguas Calientes 253 

Church of the Ascension, Aguas Calientes 253 

Senor Coronel Don Francisco Cosio, Governor of 

Queretaro 254 

Facade of the Ruins of San Augustin, Quer6taro . 255 
Monument to Dona Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, Quere- 
taro 255 

Court- Yard of the Federal Palace, Queretaro . . . 256 

Aqueduct at Queretaro 257 

General View of the Hercules Factory, Queretaro 258 
Water-Carriers at the Public Fountain, Queretaro 259 
Senor Joaquin Obregon Gonzalez, Governor of Guana- 
juato 260 

Theatre Juarez, Guanajuato 261 

A Pretty Little Home on the Road to the Presa de 

la Olla 262 

Mummies at the Pantheon, Guanajuato 263 

The Castle of Graniditas, Guanajuato 264 

Dam Manuel Gonzalez, Guanajuato 265 

Silver-Mine of San Xavier 266 

The Presa, Guanajuato 267 

Triumphal Arch in the Paseo at Leon 269 

Senor General Don Luis C. Curiel, Governor of 

Jalisco 271 

A Street in Guadalajara 272 

The Palace 273 

Santuario Zapopan, Jalisco 274 

A Monument to Pius IX., Jalisco 275 



PACE 

The Cauiedral, Guadalajara 276 

Avenue livVding to the Hospiciq, Guadauxjara . . . 277 

School ok Jurisprudence, Guadalajara 279 

Falls of Juanacatlan 280 

Theatre Degollado, Guadalajara 282 

Senor Coronel Don Francisco .Santacruz, Governor 

UF CoLlMA 2S4 

Hacienda of San Antonio, near the City of Colima 285 

Lake Jabali, Hacienda of San Antonio 285 

Indians from the Village of Suchiblan, in Working 

Clothius 286 

Indian Women from the Pueblas ne.\r Colima . . . 286 

The Governor's House in Coli.ma 287 

Street Scene, Colima 287 

Plaza de la Libertad, in front of the Governor's 

Palace in Colima 288 

General Leopoldo Romano, Governor of Tepic . . . 2S9 

C.^lTHEDRAL, TePIC 29O 

Cascade which forms the Tepic River, Tepic .... 291 

Plaza at Tepic 292 

Cotton-Factory "Jauja," Tepic 293 

La Escondida Sugar-Factory', Tepic 294 

The Village of Puga, Tepic 294 

Cascade of El Ingenio, Tepic . 295 

Puga Dwelling, View from Factory 296 

General Francisco Caneda, Governor of Sinaloa . . 297 

City of Mazatlan 298 

Mazatlan, showing the Harbor 298 

Theatre in Culiacan 299 

Calle de Rosales, Culiacan 299 

Plaza, Mazatlan 300 

Bay of Guaymas 303 

Principal Street in the City of Guaymas 304 

Government Palace, Hermosillo 305 

View of the City and Bay of Guaymas 306 

View of the City of Guaymas 307 

Coronel Rafael G.\rcia Martinez, Jefe Politico, La 

Paz 309 

Port of La Paz, showing the Great Pearl-Fisheries 

OF Baja California 310 

Government House, La Paz 311 

Coronel Agustin S.^gines, Jefe PoLfTico, Ensenada . 312 

The Bay at Ensenada 313 

Pier at Ensenada 313 

City' of Ensenada 314 

SEfJOR Aristeo Mercado, Governor of Michoacan . . 315 

Governor's Palace, Morelia 316 

Monument to Ocampo, Morelia 317 

Lake Patzcuaro, Michoac.\n 319 

Portal de Matamoros, Morelia 320 

P.aseo de San Pedro, Morelia 322 

College of Santa Maria de Guadalupe, Morelia . . 323 

Cathedral, Morelia 325 



12 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



An Entrance to the Paseo, Morelia 327 

La Fzarasacua, Uruapan 328 

Sen'or Coronel Antonio Mercenario, Governor of 

Guerrero 330 

In Tixtla, Guerrero 331 

Chilpancingo, the Capital of Guerrero 332 

Palace, Chilpancingo 333 

Temple at Quechomictlipan, Omitlan 334 

Girls' College, Chilpancingo 335 

SEfioR Coronel Manuel Alarcon, Governor of the 

State of Morelos 336 

A View of Cuernavaca 337 

Aztec Monolith, Cuernavaca ' 338 

A Bridge built by Cortez in Morelos 338 

Palace of Cortez, Cuernavaca 339 

Cascade of San Antonio 340 

Field of Rice in Morelos 341 

Borda Garden, Cuernavaca 342 

Plaza, Cuernavaca 343 

Field of Sugar-Cane in Morelos 344 

Senor Coronel Francisco Leon, Governor of Chiapas 345 

Palace, Chiapas 346 

Between Ortega and La Puerta 347 

Types of Indian Women in Chiapas 349 

On the Road to Bonito 350 

Palace of Justice, Campeche 352 

Calle de Zaragoza, showing the Wall which sur- 
rounds THE City 353 

Plaza de la Independencia, Campeche 354 

Ruins of Hoch-ob, Campeche 355 

Palacio Central, Ruins of Hoch-ob, Campeche . . . 356 

General Abraham Bandala, Governor of Tabasco . . 358 

Farm-House, Tabasco 359 

Port op San Juan Bautista 359 

Street in San Juan Bautista 360 

San Juan Bautista 361 

Government Palace, San Juan Bautista 362 

Lie. Carlos Peon, Governor of Yucatan 363 

Governor's Palace, Merida 364 



Type of Yucatacos 366 

Tekax , 368 

Merida, Yucatan 369 

Section of the Nunnery, Chichen-Tija 371 

Castle, Chichen-Tija 372 

Las Monjas, Uxmal 374 

Mount Sebatsche 375 

FAgADE OF Las Monjas, Uxmal 376 

Municipal Palace, Merida 377 

Juarez Penitentiary, Merida 378 

The Main Canal at Tlahualilo, Durango ..... 381 

Hacienda of Zaragoza, Tlahualilo, Durango .... 383 

Ravine of Infiernillo, Interoceanic Railroad . . . 386 

Cotton-Growing at Tlahualilo, Durango 389 

Picturesque Scene on the Mexican Central near 

Tampico '. 391 

Interoceanic Railroad Leaving the City of Mexico . 393 

La Sedena Bridge, Interoceanic Railroad 398 

Ravine of Metlac, Mexican Railroad 402 

A Scene along the Tehuantepec Railroad 407 

Coffee Plantation on the Interoceanic Railroad . . 410 

Tunnel, Interoceanic Railroad 413 

The Bend, on the Cuernavaca and Pacific Railroad 416 

Major Robert B. Gorsuch 419 

Across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec 421 

Colonel Joe H. Hampson 422 

Two Tunnels on the Interoceanic Railroad .... 423 

Hon. Thomas Braniff 424 

Along the Cuernavaca and Pacific Railroad .... 426 

BuENA Vista Station, Mexican Railroad 427 

Barranca near Tres Marias, on the Cuernavaca and 

Pacific Railroad 428 

Telegraph Office in the Federal District 429 

Organos, the Large Cactus Plant, Oaxaca 431 

Husking Coffee 433 

Group of Tehuantepequenas 434 

Carrying Pulque 438 

A Field of Maguey Plants 439 

Drawing Pulque, in Tlachiquero 440 



PREFATORY NOTE 



M' 



HEN, in 1892, I first visited Mexico for the Nerv York World, to collect the 
material for their great special illustrated edition of Mexico, — the most 
notable feature of modern journalism, — I realized how meagre is the 
knowledge of the general public outside of Mexico of the beauties and 
resources of that fair republic, and comprehended for the first time that 
books on Mexico have invariably covered either limited areas of country or circumscribed 
periods. I determined to visit once more that garden spot of the western world, and issue 
the following book. For this purpose I took as my sole companion and interpreter my 
daughter. Miss Ida Dent Wright, and together we made a complete tour of the republic b)' 
rail- and water-ways and on horseback, travelling more than a thousand miles in the unfrequented 
parts of Mexico, and gathering valuable data and novel experiences at every turn. 

To President Diaz and the members of his cabinet I am deeply indebted for dis- 
tinguished courtesies. 

To Major Robert B. Gorsuch, who has been my faithful adviser and kind friend in all 
matters of importance in connection with this great undertaking, I owe many thanks. 

I am also indebted to Valleto & Cia, Mr. N. Winther, and Schlattman Hermanos, who 
have furnished me many beautiful photographs. 

For valuable editorial assistance I am indebted to Miss Helen M. Winslow, and to the 
World for permission to use some of my data published August 2, 1892. I am also indebted 
to Mr. E. C. Butler, of the Mexican Herald, to Mr. E. H. Thompson, of Yucatan, to Senor 
Coronel Don Ramon Corona, and to many citizens of Mexico, for their unfailing and daily 
kindnesses. 

M. R. W. 



13 



INTRODUCTORY 



m 



EXICO, land of mystery and romance ; land of mingled tradition and history ; 
land of vast forests and fruitful valleys ; of snow-capped mountains and 
inexhaustible mines ; land of sapphire skies and unrivalled climate ; land of 
tropic luxuriance and noble patriotic hearts ; of thee would I sing- ; thy 
praises would I carry to the farthest end of the broad green earth. All 
countries have their virtues and their beauties ; all lands have their prophets and their poets ; 
but none more worthy are than this magic and marvellous region where nature's affluence 
bears perennial witness to her storied treasures, her mineral resources, her unequalled scenery, 
her splendid fabric of a national and imperishable importance among the free and noble 
countries of the world. 

Although sacked by ruthless hands for centuries, Mexico is still the typical embodiment 
of loveliness and truth ; a country of ancient and beautiful architecture, a region of Alpine 
snows and tropic sun, a nation of incalculable wealth and of strong and noble men ; none other 
has a more tragic or famous past ; none a more glorious and affluent future. Through all her 
old traditions and achievements, and against all she has suffered from oppression and grinding 
tyranny in the past, the illuminating light of progress is throwing the strong radiance of 
advancement across mountain and valley, lighting up her wonderful resources, and showing 
a glimpse here and there of still more wonderful possibilities in the future. 

This land, thanks to the unconquerable spirit and freedom-loving temper of Mexico, to-day 
stands waiting for science and commerce to walk in, hand in hand, and possess it ; to develop 
its present resources into the glorified future of which already its republican government has 
laid the foundations. 

Mexico, fair Mexico ; quaintest and most delightful spot in the whole world. A stranger 
within thy gates, I know thy hospitality, thy generous, whole-souled kindness, thy inestiinable 
character, and the true manly and womanly hearts with whom thy destiny rests. Again and 
again have I said adios to thy sapphire skies and snow-crowned hills, only to be drawn back 
by an irresistible impulse, — an impulse of love and admiration. And by this impulse am I 
impelled to tell the world through these pages something of thy unrivalled charm, as a lover 
sings of the charms of her who has captivated his heart. 

Many people have gone a little distance into Mexico and written books about it. They 
give us glimpses of some small portion of the Mexican country along the beaten tracks, and 
already mapped out by many a guide-book. This is, perhaps, one reason why no complete 
book on Mexico exists to-day. With all modesty, I think I may claim, after travelling through 
the wilds of Mexico more than a thousand miles away from the railroads, across mountains and 
among the native races, with no company but my daughter and the official escort kindly pro- 
vided me by the Mexican governors, that in offering this book I am giving the public not only 
the most complete book ever written about this wonderful countr)', but also ample evidence 
that two American ladies may travel anywhere and everywhere in Mexico sure of meeting with 
nothing but courtesy, respect, and the kindest attention. 

15 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER I 



-1 



ANCIENT HISTORY OF MEXICO 

rEW people outside the fair republic of Mexico know anything of its wonderful 
resources ; its beautiful atmosphere of romance ; its remarkable development ; its 
charming, progressive men and women ; its lovely natural beauties ; and, least of 
all, of the spirit of modern enterprise that has entered in and taken possession 
of the land. In considering the development of this wonderful countr)^ with 
a civilization in some respects older than that of the United States, the object is to present 
a true picture of Mexico to-day ; to look into the reasons why the spirit of progress and 
advancement was not brought into play earlier in its history ; to give some account of the 
wonderful and rapid development of the past few years ; and to convey to the civilized world 
an adequate idea of the possibilities of immediate and profitable extension of existing indus- 
tries, and of the introduction of new ones ; for Mexico — beautiful, historic, splendid Mexico — 
has undreamed-of possibilities in a commercial sense, and is becoming one of the leading 
republics of the earth, a nation celebrated in industrial enterprise as well as artistic and natural 
beauty. 

Why, then, with all her advantages, has not this fair land made greater progress since her 
settlement three hundred years ago ? Why has not this country of such beauty and such 
resources, of wealth incalculable and noble patriotic people, developed sooner and taken her 
place as the literary, commercial, and educational centre of the western hemisphere, just as she 
is the geographical centre ? 

Let us look at the history of other nations for a moment. All records of the past show 
that different nations and races have led in civilization, in commerce, and in war at various 
periods in the world's great story. Egypt and Phoenicia, Assyria and Babylon, succeeded each 
other as masters and leaders of the known world, but the d)'nasty of each gave way in due 
course of events. Greece took her place as the ruling nation, only to be followed by Rome. 
Then the fall of the Western Empire, in 476, ensued ; while the accession of Hildebrand, in 
1073, made another turning-point in history, followed by a troublous, changing, historic, kaleido- 
scopic picture, in which Europe and even a part of Asia were colors in the great prism of the 
world. Venice became mistress of the seas, and sent her ships to whiten the seas of both 
hemispheres. Her wealth increased, and with it her power ; her traders enriched themselves 
from the Orient, and for a time she, too, reigned supreme. Then the fall of Constantinople 

2 17 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



closed the East to the nations of Western Europe, and her navigators had to seek new 
pathways to wealth, new worlds to conquer, and, most important of all, as they thought, new 
roadsteads to Oriental marts. Four great nations — Spain, Portugal, France, and Great 
Britain — each sought for tliis pathway. Their most experienced navigators were called into 
requisition, and each sought studiously for a new gate-way to the treasure-gardens of the East. 
Their ships sailed in every direction ; their keels ploughed the seas far and near ; their faith 
was great, and their persistence was greater ; they sought with an unparalleled zeal to find out 
another way to the old market, or a new one to conquest and increase of trade. 

Christopher Columbus was but one of the many who crossed and recrossed each other 



in pursuit of the 
petty quarrels and 
their sovereigns con- 
India and its lands 
records of history, 
was visited by all 
from the religious one 
Cross, to the pitiless 
the power of his king 
condition being that 
treasury a goodly 
fruits of his expedi- 
points of gleaming 
When these 
Mexico they met a 
but at last, under 
the great peninsula 
mighty oceans and 
subdued, and the con- 
coffers of the Monte- 
rapidly diminishing 
The native speech, 
dence were sacrificed 
foragainst the Church 
army, hand in hand. 




same quest. Their 
the greater ones of 



cernmg 



the New 
and inhabitants are 
Our own hemisphere 
grades of explorers, 
in the name of the 
trader who boasted 
to help him,— his only 
he pay into the royal 
percentage of the 
tion, Gathered at the 
swords. 

ravagers reached 
sturdy resistance ; 
the colors of Spain, 
washed by two 
its aborigines were 
tents of the strong 
zumas went to fill the 
Castilian treasury, 
religion, and indepen- 
to Rome and Spain ; 
and the Spanish 
what could the sub- 
jects of Montezuma do ? The ravages of war kept up for years. Attacks external and civil 
on the Spanish treasury were supported or materially aided by taxes extorted from Mexico 
and her sister colonies of the West Indies ; and while armies of men poured from Spain into 
Mexico, floods of silver poured from the land of the Montezumas into old Castile. 

The crown of Spain had discovered here a fairy godmother. The king had only to wish, 
and wealth poured into the royal coffers without stint or measure. 

Three centuries of Spanish rule ensued, — centuries of watchful jealousy lest other hands 
should profane the beauties or sack the treasures of Mexico. It is estimated that the treas- 
ures mounted to the almost incredible sum of nearly three billion five hundred millions of 
dollars. No wonder Spain was a careful mother to her adopted daughter. And this does not 
include the astonishing amounts carried off by all sorts of explorers for their own enrichment, 
nor the millions extorted by the Church of Rome as her tithes from the New World. 



Hidalgo. 



ANCIENT HISTORY OF MEXICO 19 

During these centuries the gold and sih'er seemed without limit. The East, with relentless 
avarice, grasped the silver ; the West, with nc\'er-satisfied appetite, ate up the gold. Like the 
beggar of the streets, their cry was "give" more and ever more. The ability of the plun- 
derers to extort by any means both from ancient treasuries and newly opened mines was the 
only limit to this ceaseless flow. 

It was a wicked waste, for only the richer veins and ores were manipulated ; the remainder 
were left for future generations, should there ever be need for more laborious process amid 
such bounteous profusion of wealth. 

And so the glittering harvest was reaped during succeeding years, which muliiplied into 
centuries. It was a harvest which needed not to wait for seed-time. It was aKvaj's read)-. 
Every ship was laden with it ; every man who touched it became rich. And yet, to-da)-, lying 
in the depths of the mountains, flashing in the streams, or glinting in the light of open day, it is 
there, — every kind of precious stone and precious metal, — far e.xceeding in amount and value 
those that have ever enriched England or Asia, and are scattered in such abundance over 
whole districts of the United States of North America. 

But, in view of these three centuries of ravage and pillage, is it any wonder that Mexico 
did not develop into an independent country ? Yielding up her vast treasures to enrich the 
crowns of her oppressors, how could she gain independence or develop even the consciousness 
of her own strength and power ? 

And yet, in all the days since the Spanish conquest, agriculture, where it has been in any 
degree advisable to till the fields, has not been neglected. In many places it has only been 
necessary to touch the earth with a spade for it to respond with abundant harvests. The 
wants of the natives were simple, and nature ever generous. The happy inhabitants, therefore, 
had not found it necessary to cultivate arable lands, or to try to wrest from a rugged soil 
a scanty living. 

Where costly jewels were the possession of the humblest, and a friendly climate not only 
makes slight the demand for food but produces it in the greatest profusion, agriculture would, 
naturally, not acquire great value ; and in those years the principal ambition was for gold. 

It was not until the various colonies to the north of them had achieved their independence, 
and had come to be known as a new nation, the United States of America, that the Mexicans 
began to indulge the spirit of patriotism and the desire for independence which are implanted 
by nature in every human breast. Other patriots had succeeded in establishing their rights 
to freedom and its privileges, why not they ? 

As the years went on, this restless desire for liberty grew among the patriots of Mexico. 
The fruits, the wealth, the prodigal bounty of the country were theirs, they felt, by inheritance ; 
why should they go to enrich the coffers of a foreign country while they were kept here in 
poverty and oppression ? In 1 798 the Spanish viceroy began to discover signs of the uprising 
that broke out with such force a few years later, under the noble Hidalgo. Even then the 
Mexicans had decided in their secret hearts that Mexico should no longer be New Spain either 
in name or in fact. She should be free. She should govern her own country and worship in 
her own church. She should come into her own Kingdom of Liberty. 

It was a bloody struggle, however, and one that was several times repeated ere the ^•ictor)' 
was gained and Mexico became firmly established as one of the republics of the world. 

Hidalgo and his patriots made a noble fight, but internal dissensions and foreign invasions 
followed ; the valuable mines, sacked for centuries by other rulers, had to be abandoned, and 
the tillable lands were left untouched. The patriots were fighting in the cause of honor and 



20 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

trying to wrest the crown of liberty from their oppressors, while starvation stared them in the 
face. It is always so in a desperate revolution. Liberty is to be won only by the sacrifice of 
many human lives. 

And so the older patriots fought, bled, and died for their country, while their places were 
taken by younger men who continued the battle for progress and freedom, and only the Indians 
of the mountain fastnesses were left free from care or ambitions. 

Mexico's history has been singularly cursed by the greed of gold and lust of power on 
the part of foreign potentates. Her inexhaustible treasures have, in past ages, been to her, in 
a sense, a curse rather than a blessing ; since it was only the greed of gold which brought the 
cruel, grinding oppressor, who for centuries kept her under the iron heel of the conquerors. 
While Mexico waited, many a less favored settlement rose to the distinction of a nation, and 
smaller colonies rose to proud prominence. 

But Mexico was oppressed and despoiled in vain. Slowly, perhaps, her courage rose to 
the point of resistance, but when the day of struggle came her spirit was indomitable. Beaten 
repeatedly, thrust down from temporary acquisitions more than once, she knew not the meaning 
of the word defeat. Again and again she rose fresh from discouragement ; and with a persist- 
ence that was almost divine, and a courage that comes only from the God of Liberty, cried, 
undismayed, " Mexico shall be free ! Mexico shall take her place among the independent 
nations of the earth !" 

And so the young republic to-day stands strong and free, with the crown of liberty on her 
brow and the unconquerable hope of ages on her face ; with eager gaze on the goal far in the 
distant future, with ambition in her young breast, with the lethargy of centuries thrown from 
her like a discarded garment, and with inspiration drawn with every breath from the spirit of 
modern progress, Mexico will soon rank with the mightiest nations of earth. 

As relics of past ages are noble buildings and public works which put to blush any in her 
neighboring countries ; as accomplishments of the present are her railroads, her telegraph 
system, her business enterprise developing with every morn ; as auguries of the future are the 
many wise projects for developing the vast resources of the land, together with the same proud, 
indomitable spirit that brought her out from the land of bondage and made her a "home of the 
free and a land of the brave." 

This is the Mexico that Hidalgo, Morelos, Juarez, Lerdo, and Ocampo died for. It is to 
these men that Mexico owes so much of past, present, and future achievement. Modest, 
brave, and unselfish, they have fought better than they knew ; and to-day they are themselves 
the pedestal on which their goddess stands on high, seen and admired by every nation in the 
world. 

No country can succeed without good and brave men, whose patriotism is far above any 
greed of gain or desire for pelf It is such men that make the Mexico of to-day. 

The history of Mexico may be divided into ancient and modern, and the latter subdivided 
into two periods, the colonial and that of independence. Notwithstanding the numerous 
theories advanced concerning the primitive inhabitants of the country, all is still wrapped in 
profound obscurity. Tradition and the existing remnants of ancient structures point to a more 
remote and perhaps a higher civilization than that which filled the early Spanish conquerors 
with admiration ; but neither can assist in determining the name or the origin of the first 
immigrants. Historic ground in Mexico is not reached until the end of the sixth century ; all 
beyond belongs to the domain of mythology. The Toltecs came to the valley of Mexico, and 



ANCIENT HISTORY OF MEXICO 



21 



there built their capital, Tollan, toward the beginning of the seventh century. According to 
one theory they came from Guatemala ; another theory represents them as crossing from Asia 
to America, by a chain of islands which, in remote ages, stretched at the north from the shores 
of the Eastern to those of the Western continent. They are described as an agricultural 
people, clothed in long tunics, sandals, and straw hats ; not very warlike, but humane and 
civilized, and proficient in the highest mechanical arts ; erecting gigantic edifices : having 
a worship not sanguinary ; and inventing the 
system of astronomy afterward adopted by 
the Tezcucans and Mexicans. 

The first Toltec dynasty is said to have 
been founded early in the eighth century by 
Icoatzin. After a lapse of about five hundred 
years, the kingdom of Tollan, reduced by civil 
strifes, pestilence, and famine, was divided, and 
many of the surviving inhabitants migrated 
southward. The Toltecs were the first tribe to 
leave a written account of their nationality and 
polity ; they are regarded in Mexican history 
as the primitive nation of the country, and 
their epoch is taken as the starting-point of a 
fixed chronology of the native annals. With 
the downfall of their monarchy terminated the 
civilization of the north. 

Not long afterward, the Chichimecs, de- 
scribed as a fierce northern tribe, living by the 
chase, dwelling in caverns or straw huts, mo- 
nogamous, and worshipping the sun as their 
father and the earth as their mother, came to 
the Toltec country, which they did not conquer, 
as they met with no resistance, but merely 
occupied peacefully, settling in the same towns 

with the Toltecs who remained from the general emigration. The descendants of these Toltecs 
became once more numerous and prosperous, and, taking the name of Colhuis or Culhuas, 
founded Colhuacan, on the margin of the lake. Between the arrival of the Chichimecs and the 
end of the twelfth century, tradition mentions the influx of a multitude of other northern tribes, 
chief among whom were the Tepanecs, who, with Atzcapozalco as their capital, established an 
independent state, and became gradually so powerful that in later times two of their kings 
usurped the throne of Tezcuco. Another of these tribes were the Techichimecs, the founders 
of the Tlaxcalan republic, and all of them spoke the Xahoa or Xahuatl tongue. After these 
came the Acolhuis, likewise of Nahoa origin, and consequently kindred to the Toltecs, and 
especially distinguished among all the immigrants by the Chichimecs as being the most refined. 
From them the latter readily learned agriculture, the mechanic arts, and town life, and the 
two races became so completely intermingled as at last to be confounded in one great nation 
in the kino-dom of Tezcuco or Acolhuacan, a name indicating that not only the customs and 
culture of the Acolhuis prevailed, but also their language, which was incomparably more 
perfect than the Chichimecan. 




Benito Juarez. 



22 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



The most important of all the tribes, the Mexicans or Aztecs, although the last to choose a 
permanent resting-place, had been as long in the valley as any of the sister nations. They 
proceeded from Aztlan, an unknown region of the north, and reached Anahuac about 1195, 
having made three stations, at which the ruins of casas grandes are still to be seen. Their first 
halting-place was on the shores of the lake of Teguyo or Teguayo, probably identical with the 
lake of Timpanogos, or Great Salt Lake, in Utah ; the second was on the river Gila ; and the 
third not far from Presidio de los Llanos. After reaching the plain of the lakes, the Mexicans 
led a nomadic existence for one hundred and thirty years. After a series of unsuccessful 
encounters, in which their numbers were greatly diminished, they laid, on the islands of the 
lake, the foundations of their city of Tenochtitlan, in 1325. Reduced to extreme poverty and 
hated by surrounding nations, they resolutely strove against ill fortune until they became 
numerous and powerful enough to take the offensive. They then spread desolation and slavery 
through many of the tribes who, in former days, had shown them little mercy. Their capital 
was extended and beautified to an extraordinary degree ; they soon became the equals of the 
Tezcucans in the cultivation of the arts and sciences ; their institutions, customs, relig-ion, and 

even their language, were propagated wherever 
their power reached. The adjacent territories 
were invaded and occupied by Aztec garrisons. 
The Tezcucans were perhaps more advanced 
in knowledge and refinement than the Mexi- 
cans, but the latter were certainly far more 
powerful, and they gave their name to the 
whole country and to the civilization of their 
day. 

The boundaries of the Aztec realm have 
never been precisely defined, but they extended 
northward to the country of the Huastecas, 
whom the Mexicans never subdued ; to the 
northwest the empire did not reach beyond 
the province of Tulba, the vast tract of land 
beyond which was occupied by the Otomies 
and some Chichlmec tribes ; to the west it 
terminated at the frontier of Michoacan ; on 
the southwest it was in general limited only 
by the Pacific ; and the greatest length on that 
coast was from Soconusco to Coliman. On 
the Atlantic side the Mexicans possessed all 
that lay west of the Coatzacoalcos. The 
Acolhuan dominions did not form one-eiehth of 
the Aztec kingdom. It should be observed that 
Ahuizotl, whose reign immediately preceded the Spanish conquest, carried his arms successfully 
into Guatemala, subduing that country and a portion of Nicaragua. The Tepanecs, in 141 
seized the Acolhuan capital, assassinated the king, and placed dieir own prince, Tegozomoc, 
upon the throne, which was transmitted to his son, Moxtla. But Nezahualcoyotl, the rightful 
heir, succeeded, with the aid of the Mexicans, not only in driving out the Tepanecs, but in 
conquering their country, which they gave to their allies, the Mexicans. A leacjue of mutual 




Senor General Don Mariano Escobedo. 



ANCIENT HISTORY OF MEXICO 23 

support and defence was then entered Into by the princes of Mexico, Tezcuco, and Tlacopan, 
the conquered countries to be divided between the confederates, and the largest share to be 
awarded to Mexico. During a century of constant warfare this compact was adhered to with 
strictest fideUty. The Mexican monarch had the predominance in matters of war ; the authority 
of the three was equal in all other concerns, and no one ever meddled with the government of 
the others. Toward the middle of the fifteenth century, when the Acolhuan power began to 
decline, the Mexican king plundered a portion of his neighbor's territory, and arrogated to 
himself the title of emperor, though the Tezcucan sovereigns continued to reign until the time 
of the conquest. These last had the prerogative of crowning those of Mexico. For the first 
twenty-seven years after the foundation of Tenochtitlan, the government was in the hands of a 
body of twenty nobles ; but in 1352 it was transformed into an elective monarchy, Acamapitzin 
or Acamapichtle being the first king. In the beginning the power of the sovereigns was limited, 
and their prerogatives were very moderate ; but with territorial extension and increased wealth 
came the introduction of court pomp and pageantry, and such despotism as characterized the 
reigfn of Montezuma I. 

After the election of a king, four princes or lords were chosen from among his nearest of 
kin, whose voice was indispensable in all state affairs. They acted as senators, were presidents 
of the royal council, and one of their number was in due time elected successor to the crown, 
with sole reference to fitness for the office. In later times it was customar)^ to appoint the four 
candidates to the government of minor states ; the one elected must have been general in the 
army, and not under thirty years of age. When the successor was under age, the government, 
during his minority, was committed to the senior of the royal family most fitted for the charge, 
whose election was confirmed by the kings of Tezcuco and Tlacopan. Three councils or 
cabinets assisted the king in the administration : one for the revenue, another for war. and a 
third for the government of the provinces. The councillors or ministers, though necessarily of 
the nobility, owed their eligibility to long military service and a profound knowledge of state 
matters. The nobles and priests were the main supporters of the national Interests ; but the 
influence of the latter In public affairs was more limited than In some of the earlier monarchies. 
They had no seat in the privy council, and their functions were chiefly restricted to superstitious 
exercises and foretelling the Issue of campaigns. But they were intrusted with the educadon 
of children, were consulted on all grave family concerns, and their social influence was almost 
unbounded. Profound respect for the main principles of morality was evinced by the ancient 
Mexicans, with whom the security rather of person than of property was largely provided for. 
In the uninhabited districts public inns were placed at intervals for the gratuitous accommodation 
of wayfarers, and boats or bridges for their convenience In crossing rivers ; and when the roads 
were damaged by floods, they were repaired at the public expense. A complete system of 
supreme and subordinate tribunals existed in all the towns, and a still more perfect judicial 
oro-anization In the neighboring kingdom of Acolhuacan, where a council of all the judges 
throughout the realm was held once In eighty days at the capital, the monarch In person 
presiding, for the adjudication of causes left undetermined by the lower courts. 

The Aztecs were as remarkable for the moderation of their civil as for the severity of their 
penal code ; but their laws seem to have been administered less impartially than in Tezcuco, 
and to have been somewhat flexible for the nobles and priests. Creditors could imprison their 
debtors, and had a claim upon their Inheritance, but could not enslave the widows or orphans ; 
and slaves about to be sold might free themselves by taking refuge In the royal palace. 
Adultery was punished with death, however noble the oftender might be. For treason or any 



24 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



crime against the person of the monarch, embezzlement of the taxes, etc., the offender was put 
to death with all his kindred to the fourth degree. Murder of even a slave was always a capital 
crime. Drunkenness in youth was a capital offence ; in persons of maturer years, though not 
capital, it was punished with severity ; but men of seventy years, and all persons on festive 
occasions, were permitted the use of wine. He who lied to the prejudice of another had a 
portion of his lips cut off, and sometimes his ears. Finally, he who robbed in the market, 
altered the lawful measures, or removed the legal boundaries in the fields, was immediately 
put to death ; and conspirators against the prince, and those who committed adultery with 
the prince's wife, were torn to pieces, limb from limb. The murder of a merchant or an 
ambassador, or any injury or insult to the latter, was sufficient cause of war. During a 
series of very cruel wars all prisoners were devoured or enslaved. At one time the laws 
were so few that the people knew them all by heart. They were represented by paintings ; 
and the judges were attended by clever clerks, or painters, who by means of figures described 
the suits and the parties concerned therein. 

The Mexicans had two kinds of prisons, — one for debtors and persons not guilty of 
capital crimes, the other a species of cage in which were confined condemned criminals and 
prisoners taken in war, both of whom were closely guarded ; those doomed to capital punish- 
ment being sparingly fed, and the others abundantly nourished, that they might be in good 
flesh when led to sacrifice. For the same reason the Mexicans in battle preferred to capture 
their enemies alive. Polygamy was permitted, but seldom practised save by the princes and 
nobles. 

Marriage generally required the consent of the parents of both parties, and there was a 
special court for divorces, in which a wife might sue. Filial affection was a characteristic virtue 
of the Aztecs. Except in the royal family, sons succeeded to all the rights of their fathers ; 
if these died without male issue, their rights reverted to their brothers, and in the absence of 
the latter, to their nephews. Daughters could not inherit. 

The government revenues were derived from crown lands set apart in the various 
provinces, from a tax on the agricultural products, and chiefly from a tribute consisting of 
provisions and manufactured articles ; besides which a contribution was received from the 
merchants and craftsmen every twenty or eighty days. The profession of arms was one of the 
most esteemed, and those who died in defence of their country were regarded as the happiest. 

There were four distinct grades of generals, and next below them were captains. The 
main bodies or regiments consisted of eight thousand men, and seem to have been divided into 
battalions of four hundred men each, and these into squads of twenty. They marched in 
admirable order ; the priests were always in front, and the signal for combat was given by 
kindling a fire and sounding a trumpet. Their tactics were unfavorable to hostilities by night ; 
but "force and stratagem, courage and deceit," says Prescott, "were equally admissible in 
war." 

The first European to visit the shores of Mexico was Francisco Fernandez de Cordova, in 
1517 ; but he discovered only the coast of Yucatan. The discovery was continued in the 
following year by Juan de Grijalva, in command of a squadron sent from Cuba by Velasquez, 
who sailed round the north coast as far as the mouth of the river Panuco, and landed on the 
islet on which now stands the castle of San Juan de Ulua. After his return, his brilliant 
account of his discovery excited the desire of conquest. 

On Good Friday, April 22, 15 19, Hernan Cortez landed at that part of the coast where 
Vera Cruz was afterward built, and founded a town to which he eave the name of Villarica de 



HISTORY OF MEXICO 



25 



Vera Cruz. On the very day of his landing occurred the first of a series of battles, which 
terminated only with the taking of the city of Tenochtitlan, August 13, 1521, and the capture 
of the young and valorous Guatemozin, the last of the Aztec monarchs. The other smaller 
states were subdued after a short resistance. 

A military government was imjnediately established, Cortez taking the supreme command ; 
but ayuntamientos (municipalities) had already been formed, the first at V'illarica, and these 
continued independently of the new military power. Many of the laws emanating from the 
ayuntamientos still exist in full force in the Mexican republic. By a decree ot Charles the Mith, 
Cortez was constituted governor of the new territory, which had been named Xew Spain, 
October 15, 1522. The Indians, though converted, were distributed among the comjuistadorcs 
and other Spanish officials and immigrants, and compelled as slaves to till the ground and 
labor in the mines. This system of rcparti- 
mientos, or distributions, had already been 
applied and found fatal to the aboriginal 
inhabitants of the island of Hayti, but the 
Mexicans, a hardier people, did not so 
readily succumb. 

In 1528 was inaugurated the first aiidi- 
encia, with Nuho de Guzman as president, 
and four auditors. The arbitrary and op- 
pressive measures of this body caused con- 
siderable discontent in the colony, which, 
coming to the ears of the emperor, led to 
the suppression of the atidiencias, and the 
establishment of a vice-regal government in 
New Spain. The first viceroy, Don Antonio 
de Mendoza, ruled the country from 1535 
to 1550. 

Durincf his administration discoveries 
were actively prosecuted in the north ; the 
first money was coined in Mexico ; the 
printing-press, the first in the New World, 
was introduced ; the University of Mexico 
and several colleges were founded, and 
numerous important reforms were effected. 
Of the sixty-four viceroys who successively 

governed the country till 1821, only one was of American birth, Don Juan de Acuna, a native 
of Lima (1722-34), and the most celebrated after Mendoza was Don Juan Vicente Guemes 
Pacheco, the second count of Revillagigedo (1789-94)- I" his dme were accomplished many 
important improvements : the streets of the principal cities were drained, paved, and lighted, 
and provided with a tolerably efficient police ; persons of known probity were placed in the 
public offices ; and municipal revenues were introduced. 

At the beginning of the present century, society in New Spain consisted of four classes of 
opposite tendencies and interests,— the pure-blooded Indians, the Creoles, or pure-blooded 
descendants of the early Spanish settlers, the mestizos, or half-breeds, from the union of whites 
and Indians, and the Spaniards of European birth. The condition of the Indians had but little 




Senor General Don Ramon Corona. 



26 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

changed under the viceroys. They were compelled to pay tribute, and were held in a sort of 
tutelage, which ended only in the tomb. The Indian nobles, or caciques, were exempted from the 
degrading restrictions which weighed upon the others. As for the Creoles, whose numbers 
were continually increasing, a policy due to ignorance of their real position in the community 
excluded them from all places of trust in the government, and even from the higher g-rades in 
the regular army. Upon such as had amassed great wealth titles of nobility were conferred, 
while conciliatory crosses were distributed to those of smaller fortunes ; but the home 
government considered it imprudent to allow them to take part in the public administration, 
and placed it exclusively in the hands of the Spaniards. 

This, with other grievances, caused profound discontent among the Creoles, who would 
probably have resented it by open rebellion, had they not been restrained by the apprehension 
that the Indians, aided by the mestizos, might avail themselves of that event for the destruction 
of all the whites. An ineradicable antipathy had already sprung up between the Creoles and the 
Spaniards, whom they distinguished by the sobriquet of Gachupines ; yet probably no outbreak 
would have immediately ensued but for the events of 1818 in the peninsula. The usurpation 
of Ferdinand's throne by a Bonaparte was unanimously protested against by both Spaniards 
and Creoles in Mexico ; but the public mind was agitated by intemperate discussions con- 
cerning the provisional government, which the state of things made it necessary to organize ; 
and the excitement was not a little enhanced by the imprisonment of the viceroy, Don 
Jose de Iturrigaray, suspected of a design to seize the crown of Mexico, on September 16, 
1808. 

After his arrest, the prestige of Spanish authority sensibly declined among the Mexicans, 
who began to long for independence. A conspiracy was formed, and on September 15, 18 10, 
a revolt broke out in the province of Guanajuato, headed by a priest, Don Miguel Hidalgo, a 
man of great talent and considerable influence among the Indians, and a man who thus became 
"the Father of his Country." 

The insurrection soon assumed formidable proportions, Hidalgo having at one time one 
hundred thousand men under arms. He finally suffered several defeats, was betrayed to his 
enemies (March 21, 181 1), and four months later was shot in company with his companions in 
arms, AUende, Aldama, and Jimenez. The contest was continued by Morelos, also a priest, 
who called a national congress, which met at Chilpanzingo in September, 181 3, and in November 
declared Mexico independent. On October 22, 1814, it promulgated at Apatzingan the first 
Mexican constitution, which is known by the name of that place. 

After several defeats, Morelos was captured, carried to the city of Mexico, and executed 
as a rebel, December 22, 18 15. For several years the contest waged among the patriots, of 
whom the principal chiefs were Victoria, Guerrero, Bravo, Rayon, and Teran. These were 
gradually driven from the field and were killed, imprisoned, or obliged to hide in the mountains, 
so that long before|i820 the authority of Spain appeared to be fully re-established in Mexico. 

But in the course of that year the news of the revolution in Spain, and of the proclamation 
of the constitution which Ferdinand VII. had been compelled to adopt, renewed the agitation 
among the Mexicans in favor of a liberal government. 

Don Agustin Iturbide, a native Mexican and a colonel in the Mexican army, who during 
the recent civil war had distinguished himself on the royalist side, now threw off his allegiance 
and began the second revolution by proclaiming Mexico independent, February 24, 1821. The 
revolt of Iturbide was eminently successful. In the course of a few months the whole country 
recognized his authority except the capital, and by a treaty signed at Cordova, August 24, 182 1, 



I-IJSrORY OF MJiXJCO 27 

with the viceroy, Don Juan O'Donoju, he obtained possession of Mexico on September 27, and 
instituted a regency, of which he was the head, and O'Donoju one of the members. 

Eight months later, with the support of the army and the mob of the city of Mexico, 
Iturbide was proclaimed emperor on the night of May 19, 1822, under the title of Agustin I. 
His reign was short. On December 2, Santa Anna, seconded by Bravo, Guerrero, and other 
chiefs, proclaimed the republic of \'era Cruz ; and Iturbide abdicated on March 19, 1823, rather 
than see the country again plunged into civil war. 

The congress which had been dissolved by Iturbide, but reconvoked b)' him shortly before 
his abdication, appointed a new governor, called podcr cjccutivo (exccuti\e power), composed of 
Generals Bravo, Victoria, Neerete, and Guerrero. Iturbide was condemned to exile, and 
embarked at Vera Cruz for London in May of the same year, just twelve months after his 
exaltation to the throne. 

On October 4, 1824, the congress promulgated a constitution closely resembling that of 
the United States, by virtue of which Mexico was formed into a republic with nineteen 
states and five territories. General Don Felix Fernando \'ictoria, better known as Guadalupe 
Victoria, one of the most intrepid heroes of the war of independence, was the first president, 
and General Bravo the first vice-president. Iturbide, who had the temerity to venture back to 
Mexico in this year, was arrested and shot at Padilla on July 19. In 1828 the candidates for 
the presidency were Generals Gomez Pedraza and Guerrero ; on the election of the former 
the opposite party took up arms, and a bloody contest ensued, which terminated in the downfall 
of Pedraza's government and his flight from the country, January 4, 1829. Guerrero assumed 
the executive functions on April i. 

The year 1829 witnessed the recognition of the Mexican republic by the United States, 
and an attempt made by Spain to regain possession of her lost colony. In July, Brigadier- 
General Barradas, with four thousand Spanish troops, disembarked at Cabo Rojo, near 
Tampico, but he was compelled to capitulate on September 11, his troops being disarmed 
and sent to Havana. 

The vice-president. General Anastasio Bustamente, who was commanding a reserve corps 
at Jalapa for the purpose of repelling the invaders, pronounced against Guerrero, and, having 
succeeded in deposing him, was himself elected president in his stead, January 11, 1830. 
Revolutionary disturbances continued till February 14, 1831, when Guerrero, one of the 
principal leaders, was treacherously delivered up to his enemies and executed. His name is 
perpetuated in that of one of the present states of the republic. 

Bustamente was succeeded by Pedraza, who in turn was deposed by Santa Anna, the 
latter entering office on April i, 1833, litde more than three months after the inauguration of 
Pedraza. Bustamente was compelled to go into exile, and with him several other personages 
of political notoriety. 

Congress now passed laws suppressing the convents and abolishing the compulsory 
payment of tithes. It also proposed to appropriate the property of the church to the payment 
of the national debt, but this measure led to insurrections and to further complications, which 
ended in 18^,5 in the abrogation of the constitution of 1824 and the conversion of the con- 
federation of states into a consolidated republic, of which Santa Anna was nominally 
constitutional president, and practically dictator. 

This revolution was acquiesced in by all parts of the country except Texas, where several 
thousand American colonists had setded. The refusal of the Texans to submit to the central- 
ized o-overnment, which they pronounced a usurpation, induced Santa Anna to march against 



28 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



them in the beginning of 1836, with an army which was defeated and annihilated at San Jacinto, 
April 21, the Mexican president himself being taken prisoner. 

In the previous month a convention of delegates assembled at the town of Washington 
had declared Texas an independent republic. 

The captivity of Santa Anna threw Mexico again into confusion. Bustamente, who had 
returned from exile, became president April 19, 1837 ; but in the latter part of his term the 
power was virtually in the hands of Santa Anna, who, after a visit to President Jackson, at 
Washington, had been sent back to Mexico in a United States ship of war, in 1837. He held 




Tomb of Juarez. 



office as revolutionary provisional president from March to July, 1839, when Nicolas Bravo 
became president for a week. 

A long period of confusion followed, during which the constitution was suspended, and the 
government became a dictatorship, at the head of which was alternately Santa Anna, Bravo, 
and Canalizo (the last two as substitutes during the frequent absences of the first), from 
October 10, 1841, to June 4, 1844. Constitutional government was resumed in 1844, 'with 
Santa Anna as president, under another constitution promulgated June 12, 1843. He was 
deposed and banished by a revolution, and was succeeded, September 20, 1844, by Canalizo, 
who was deposed by a revolution in December. His successor, Herrera, was also driven from 
office by a revolution, December 30, 1845. Herrera was succeeded by General Paredes. 

- During his administration war opened with the United States, in consequence of the 
annexation of Texas to the American Union. In May, 1846, General Taylor crossed the Rio 
Grande, and after a series of engagements in which the American arms were uniformly sue- 



HISTORY OF MUX I CO 29 

cessful, Santa Anna, who had returned from exile, regained the presidency, and, taking personal 
command of the army, was completely overthrown. By the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, 
signed in February, 1848, the war was ended, and California and New Mexico were ceded to 
the United States on the payment therefor of the; sum of fifteen million dollars. 

Santa Anna again left the country, but after the new administration of Herrera and that 
of Arista he was recalled in 1853, and was for the fifth time elevated to the presidency, though 
for a short season only, for, having attempted to secure the office for life, with the right to 
appoint at his death his own successor, he was deposed in August, 1855, by a revolution under 
Alvarez, governor of Guerrero, who was at once appointed to take his place. The latter 
resigned in favor of Comonfort in December of the same year, and a series of revolutions 
ensued, chiefly instigated by the church party, whom the president made his implacable enemies 
by a law recommended by him and adopted in June, 1856, for the sale of the church lands and 
the freedom of religious belief. 

In March, 1857, a new and very democratic constitution was promulgated by congress, and 
Comonfort was constrained to accept it, but, owing to strenuous opposition from the church 
party, it did not come into operation till May. Meantime the repudiation of an acknowledged 
debt to Spain seemed likely to involve the republic in a war with that power. The president 
sought in vain for aid from the United States, and conspiracies multiplied on every side. 
Comonfort, although confirmed in the presidency under the new constitution in September, 
announced in December a change of government and of constitution ; and in January, 1858, 
he was superseded by Zuloaga, who for a while had been his supporter, and was forced to take 
refuge in the United States. 

Zuloaga was immediately opposed by Benito Juarez, who, as chief justice of the Supreme 
Court, was, by the provisions of the constitution, the president's lawful successor. Juarez was 
defeated, but he went to Vera Cruz and there established himself as the constitutional president. 

Zuloaga was constrained to abdicate in favor of Miguel Miramon, his own general-in-chief, 
January i, 1859. Miramon, a successful soldier rather than a good statesman, relied solely 
upon the fortune of arms for. the subjection of Vera Cruz. Leaving Zuloaga as provisional 
president, he set forth upon a series of campaigns, which terminated in that of Calpulalpam, 
and the triumphal entry of Juarez into the capital on January 11, 1861. Much of Juarez's 
success was due to the recognition of him as the head of the government by the United States. 
While still at Vera Cruz he began the series of reforms which rendered his administration so 
popular on the one hand, but, on the other, paved the way for foreign invasion. Among them 
stand most prominent the making marriage a civil contract, the abolition ot perpetual 
monastic vows and of ecclesiastical tribunals, the suppression of monasteries, and the appropria- 
tion of church property to the service of the state, the total value of which was estimated at 
rather more than three hundred million dollars, or nearly one-half the value of all the landed 
property in the country. These measures were soon followed by the complete separation of 
church and state. 

A favorable opportunity soon offered. Spain, France, and England urged claims for the 
reparation of injuries and losses alleged to have been sustained by their subjects resident in 
Mexico ; and, no satisfaction having been obtained from Juarez, he was informed that a joint 
expedition from the three powers would be sent to demand it ; a measure agreed upon by the 
convention of London, October 31, 1861. In December, Vera Cruz was occupied by Si^inish 
troops from Cuba, commanded by General Prim, and in January, 1S62, by French and British 
forces. 



30 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



But it was soon discovered that the English and Spanish claims could be settled by- 
negotiation ; it was agreed that a portion of the custom receipts should be appropriated to 
their liquidation, and in May the forces of both these powers were withdrawn from the country. 
The French army remained in the republic, thereby tacitly avowing their intention to overthrow 
the existing form of government in Mexico. This determination appears to have been solely 
prompted by Almonte and other agents of the church party sent to Europe for that purpose, 
and it was readily concurred in by Napoleon III. The French refused to treat with Juarez, and 
war was declared on April i6, 1862. Almonte, appointed president by the Vera Cruz authori- 
ties, who had revolted against Juarez (June 3), was deposed, and his government dissolved on 
October 2, by a decree of General Forey, the French commander. Hostilities began with an 
attack on Puebla by the French, who were then defeated, but who, after a number of subsequent 
engagements of varying success, occupied Mexico City on June 10, 1863, Juarez and his 
ministry having removed to San Luis Potosi. A regency was formed on the 24th ; on July 8 
an assembly of notables was convened, with power to decide upon the form of the future 




The Nationai. Palace. 



government of Mexico ; and on the loth it resolved, by two hundred and fifty votes against 
twenty, upon an hereditary monarchical government under a Roman Catholic emperor. The 
crown was accepted by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria, with the title of Maximilian I., 
Emperor of Mexico. He arrived at the capital on June 12, 1864. The republican president, 
continually pursued by the imperialists, arrived by successive retreats at El Paso in September, 
1865, and remained there until the commencement of the following year. On March 25, 1866, 
the Juarez troops captured Chihuahua, and that victory was followed by a number of others. 



HISTORV OF MEXICO 31 

The 1st of November, 1866, General Diaz entered his natal city, to be crowned with 
laurels as her liberator. On April 2, he won in Puebla another most glorious victory, which 
made the walls of the empire totter, as this was one of the invader's strongholds. 

After repeated remonstrances from the United States government, the French troops 
under Bazaine were withdrawn from Mexico early in 1867, the last detachment embarking at 
Vera Cruz on March 16. Maximilian, now left to his own resources, deemed it expedient to 
leave the capital and proceed northward. Toward the end of February he set out at the head 
of five thousand men and reached Oueretaro, which was at once besieged by General Ramon 
Corona and General Mariano Escobedo, with an army of twenty thousand Juarists; Mexico, 
Puebla, and Vera Cruz being simultaneously invested by other divisions of the repul)lican 
forces. 

The ill-fated emperor was captured (May 15), tried by court-martial, condemned, and shot, 
with his two generals, Miramon and Mejia, on June 19, 1867. 

Juarez re-entered the capital on July 16, and was re-elected president in the following 
October. During his flight before the imperial forces in the north his term of office had expired ; 
but he issued a wise decree prolonging his exercise of the presidential tunctions until it should 
become possible to summon the representatives for a new election. 

The work of reconstruction was interrupted for a short time by an attempt on the part of 
Santa Anna to occupy some of the gulf ports and promote a conspiracy against Juarez, who 
had rejected his offer to assist him in driving out the invaders. Santa Anna was captured at 
Sisal on July 12, 1867, tried at the castle of San Juan de Ulua, and condemned to banishment 
for eight years. 

The years 1868 and 1869 were marked by insurrections, pronunciamientos, and revolutions, 
the most formidable of which was the pronunciamiento of Angel Santa Anna, who was taken 
after four months of depredations and bloodshed, and shot in compan)- with his followers. 
President Juarez was again elected in 1871, the opposing candidates having been General 
Porfirio Diaz and Don Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada. He was the first president of Mexico who 
held power during his full term of office. 

President Juarez died July 18, 1872, and was succeeded by Lerdo de Tejada, who was 
overthrown by another revolution in 1876. 

General Porfirio Diaz, who had ably served his country all through her latter days of stress 
and trial, Avas then placed in the chief executive oflice in May, 1877. At the regular election 
of 1880, General Manuel Gonzalez Avas chosen to fill the position of president, and General 
Diaz gave way to him on December i. General Gonzalez served out his full term of four 
years, and was then succeeded by General Diaz, who was elected by popular acclamation to 
the highest post of honor in the gift of Mexico. Ever since that time, December, 18S4. Presi- 
dent Diaz has served his country nobly and faithfully in that position, being now in his fifth 
term, — a record unmatched by any patriot in any country in the world. 



32 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



m 



CHAPTER II 

THE AZTEC CIVILIZATION 

E often hear it said — and spoken as an argument against the beauty and 
romance of the Western Hemisphere — that America is a land without 
traditions, without poetry, and without castles. Ignorance is the only 
excuse for those who utter this heresy ; for in Mexico are ancient ruins 
of buildings that were hoary with age when the famous castles of the 
Rhine and the comparatively young strongholds of England were in process of erection. 
Away back in the middle ages, whence we imagine the romance of Europe to have emanated, 
there was a civilization in Mexico that was even then historic. It is an ignorance, perhaps, that 
may be pardoned, since even our wisest archseologists and deepest scientific students of modern 
times cannot yet determine the age or origin of the most ancient of these landmarks. 

No more interesting people for the modern student ever existed than the Aztecs, who seem 
to have been the equal in intelligence and advancement of any tribe in the world at that time. 
The Aztecs were most sincere in the practice of their religious rites. They believed in a 
supreme creator, invisible yet omnipresent, but requiring numerous assistants to perform his 
will, each of whom presided over some special natural phenomenon or phase of human exist- 
ence. They had thirteen principal and several hundred inferior deities. The dread Huitzilo- 
pochtli, the war god of the Aztecs, was the patron divinity of the race, and myriads of human 
victims were sacrificed to him yearly in countless pyramidal temples throughout the realm. 
Ouetzalcoatl, a more beneficent deity, was described by the natives as a tall white man, with a 
large forehead and flowing beard, who taught his favored people the art of government and 
the various arts of peace, especially those of the husbandman and silversmith, forbade bloody 
sacrifices and permitted only those of bread, roses, and perfumes, and warned against robbery 
and all violence. This god of the. air, as he was named, having incurred the displeasure of 
one of the other chief deities, was compelled to leave the country ; but on quitting the shores 
of the gulf he promised to return, and the Mexicans always looked forward to the auspicious 
day. 

After his departure from the capital he tarried at Cholula, where a magnificent temple was 
dedicated to him, the ruins of which are among the most curious remains of Mexican antiquities. 
All these divinities were represented by images of clay, wood, stone, or precious metals and 
gems, but of most fantastic forms, coarse and hideous ; and of the minor gods of every degree 
hosts of images were to be found in the dwellings of both great and small. The Mexicans, 
with all the other polished natives of Anahuac, regarded the souls of both man and brutes as 
immortal. The number of priests corresponded with the number of gods and temples ; ancient 
historians afiirm that five thousand were attached to the great temple of the capital, on the site 
of which now stands the cathedral. There were several different orders among the priests, the 



34 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

chief of all being the two high priests, whose dignity was conferred by election. The high 
priests anointed the king, and were the oracles consulted by him on all important state 

concerns. 

The sacerdotal hierarchies of the several gods were quite separate, and had each a grada- 
tion of their own. The temples (teocallis) were of two kinds, — low and circular, and high and 
pyramidal, — on the tops of which the sacrifices took place. Torquemada estimates that there 
were upward of forty thousand throughout the empire, and other historians estimate their 
number much higher. There were hundreds in each principal city, besides the great temple 
with several smaller ones within its precincts. In each outlying quarter of the city were other 
small courts with as many as six temples, and there were temples on the mountains and at 
intervals along the high-roads. They were solid pyramidal masses of earth cased with brick 
or stone, many of them more than one hundred feet square, and of a still greater height. The 
ascent was by flights of steps on the outside, and on the broad, flat summits were sanctuaries 
containing the images of the deities and altars on which fires were continually burning. Human 
sacrifices, which they made on the most trivial occasions, formed the chief religious ceremony 
of the Mexicans and the most important duty of the priesthood. 

In later days the repetition of these sacrifices became mournfully frequent : some Fran- 
ciscan monks computed that about twenty-five hundred persons were annually slaughtered on 
the altars of Tenochtitlan and some of the adjacent towns ; and "days had been observed," 
writes Herrera, "on which above twenty thousand had thus perished, reckoning all the sacrifices 
in several parts." Within the temples were schools, colleges, and apartments for the priests. 
A few of the priestesses took vows of perpetual celibacy. Some of the priests were permitted 
to marry ; those of whom chastity was required were punished with death for the slightest 
deviation from it. When a child of two years was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, a priest with a 
knife made a slight cut on its breast, to confirm the dedication. Piercing the lips and nose for 
the insertion of various ornaments, and plucking the hairs of the nascent beard, were common 
practices among the Mexicans. 

For purposes of record and communication they had a species of picture-writing bearing 
some relation to the Egyptian hieroglyphics. They had five books written in this way : the first 
treating of the seasons and years ; the second, of the days and festivals throughout the year ; 
the third, of dreams, omens, and other superstitious observances ; the fourth, of baptism and the 
names of children (for they celebrated a baptismal ceremony much like the Christian rite, in 
which the infant's lips and breasts were sprinkled with water) ; and the fifth, of the ceremonies 
and prognostications used at marriages. Historical knowledge was preserved by tradition 
aided by picture-writings ; and there were, besides the multitude of regular chronicles, certain 
men who kept important events, genealogies, etc., in their memory, and recited them when 
called upon. Translations of elaborate prose productions seem to show that eloquence and 
rhetorical effect were aimed at by Aztec scholars ; but no original compositions have been 
preserved. Songs perpetuating their traditions, recited at the great festivals, formed one of 
the foremost branches of temple education. 

Their musical instruments included various kinds of trumpets, whistles of bone and clay, 
horns of large sea-shells, bamboo flutes, many varieties of drums, and a few stringed instru- 
ments. Theatrical performances were given on open terraces in the market-places, the stage 
being covered with branches of trees ; masks were indispensable, and the performances were 
inseparably connected with the religion. The plays were partly pantomimic and partly recita- 
tive. The art of prestidigitation was highly developed. Farces and masquerades were 



THE AZTEC CIllLIZATION 35 

frequently given at the temples by the merchants, disguised as frogs, beetles, birds, butterllies, 
etc., the entertainment endino- with dancino-. 

The Mexicans had a simple system of arithmetical notation, in which the first twenty 
numbers were expressed by a corresponding number of dots. The number twenty was 
expressed by a flag, and larger sums were reckoned by twenties, and expressed by repeating 
the number of flags. The square of twenty, four hundred, was denoted by a plume ; and 
eight thousand, the cube of twenty, by a purse or sack. The year was divided into eighteen 
months of twenty days each, and both months and days were expressed by peculiar hiero- 
glyphics. Five complementary days were added to make up the three hundred and sixty-five ; 
and for the fraction over of nearly six hours, required to make the full year, they added thirteen 
days at the end of every fifty-two years, or cycle, which they called xiuhmolpilli, "the tying up 
of years." A month was divided into four weeks of five days each. The epoch from which 
the Mexicans computed their chronology corresponded with the year 109 1 of the Christian era. 
They had no astronomical instruments except the dial, but their skill in the science of 




Sacrificial Stone. 



astronomy is shown by their knowledge of the true length of the year, of the cause of eclipses, 
of the periods of the solstices and equinoxes, and of the transit of the sun across the zenith 
of Mexico. Most of their astronomical knowledge was derived from the Toltecs. The physi- 
cians were skilful ; they had knowledge of several thousand plants and of hundreds of species 
of birds, quadrupeds, fishes, insects, reptiles, and minerals ; but they mystified their cures with 
superstitious ceremonies. The Spanish conquerors attest the dexterity and success of the 
native surs^eons in dressing^ wounds and in bloodletting. 

The merchants and military officers had a fair notion of geography ; maps and charts of 
certain regions, of rivers, and of the whole coast, were accurately drawn or painted on cloth. 
Agriculture was in tolerable advancement, the want of ploughs, oxen, and other animals being 
supplied by simple instruments and assiduous labor. Irrigation by means of canals was \ery 
efficient. Of the various Mexican implements, almost the only ones described are an axe of 
copper or bronze, Avith just the amount of tin alloy to give it the greatest hardness attainable, 
and knives and swords, razors, and arrow- and spear-heads of itztli, or obsidian. They were 
extremely skilful in the cultivation of gardens, in which they planted fruit-trees, medicinal 



36 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

plants, and flowers with much taste. Among their chief productions were maize, cotton, 
cacao, tlie maguey or aloe, chile, etc. The maguey alone furnished the poor with almost all 
the necessaries of life : paper, thread, needles, cloth, shoes, stockings, and cordage from the 
leaves, the thickest part of these with the trunk furnishing besides a substantial dish, and 
pulque and mezcatl from the fermented juice. From the juice of the maize-stalk they prepared 
suo-ar ; from the cacao they made chocolate (Aztec, chocolatl), which they formed into tablets. 
In mining and metallurgy they were very expert. They exercised the arts of casting, 
engraving, chasing, and carving in metal with great skill ; and in looms of simple construction 
they made manta (cotton cloth) and other tissues, some of which were of exquisite fineness, 
interwoven with rabbit-hair and feathers, their only substitutes for silk and wool, and painted 
or dyed in most gorgeous colors. With the feathers of birds tastefully disposed on fine cotton 
webs they made garments of the utmost magnificence. Buying and selling, there being no 
shops, were carried on in public squares or market-places. Earthenware of every description, 
and suited for every domestic use, was one of the chief Mexican industries ; and many of the 
articles were painted in showy colors and designs. No beasts of burden were used, all carrying 
being done either by water, chiefly on the lakes, where a marvellous number of vessels were 
employed, or on men's backs. The maritime commerce was probably very trifling. For the 
rapid transmission of news towers were erected at intervals of six miles along the high-roads, 
where couriers were always in waiting for despatches, which were transferred from hand to 
hand at each stage. Despatches were thus carried three hundred miles in a day. The different 
trades were commonly grouped into a species of guild. The women shared equally with the 
men as well in social festivities as in labor. The Mexicans were simple in dress, but given to 
an inordinate display of ornaments. The people were courteous and polished, and strict 
observers of the proprieties of life. 

The ancient temple of the Aztecs in the city of Mexico occupied the site of the present 
cathedral. It was a pyramidal edifice, constructed by Ahuitzotli, accounts of which appear in 
all histories of the Spanish invasion. It occupied, with all its different edifices and sanctuaries, 
not only the ground the cathedral now stands on, but a part of the plaza and streets adjoining. 
We are told that within its enclosure were five hundred dwellings ; that its hall was built of 
stone and lime, and ornamented with stone serpents. We hear of its four great gates, fronting 
the four cardinal points ; of its stone-paved court, great stone stairs, and sanctuaries dedicated 
to the gods of war ; of the square destined for religious dances, and the colleges for the priests 
and seminaries for the priestesses ; of the horrible temple, whose door was an enormous 
serpent's mouth ; of the temple of mirrors, and that of shells ; of the house set apart for the 
emperor's prayers ; of the consecrated fountains, the birds kept for sacrifice, the gardens for 
the holy flowers, and of the terrible towers composed of the skulls of the victims, — strange 
mixture of the beautiful and the horrible. We are told that five thousand priests chanted night 
and day in the great temple to the honor and in the service of the monstrous idols, who were 
anointed thrice a day with the most precious perfumes, and that of these priests the most 
austere were clothed in black, their long hair dyed with ink, and their bodies anointed with the 
ashes of burnt scorpions and spiders ; their chiefs were the sons of kings. 

It is remarkable, by the way, that their god of wrar, Mejitli, was said to have been born of 
a woman — a Holy Virgin — who was in the service of the temple, and that when the priests, 
having knowledge of her disgrace, would have stoned her, a voice was heard, saying, "Fear 
not, mother, for I shall save thy honor and my glory ;" upon which the god was born, with a 
shield in his left hand and an arrow in his right, a plume of green feathers on his head, his face 



THE AZTEC CIVILIZATION 



2,7 



painted blue, and his left leg adorned with feathers. Thus was his gigantic statue repre- 
sented. 

There were gods of the water, of the earth, of night, fire, hell ; goddesses of flowers and 
of corn. There were oblations offered of bread and flowers and jewels, but we are assured 
that from twenty to fifty thousand human victims were sacrificed annually in Mexico alone. 
That these accounts are exaggerated, even though a bishop is among the narrators, we can 
scarcely doubt ; but if the tenth part be the truth, let the memory of Cortez be sacred, who, 
with the Cross, stopped the shedding of innocent blood, founded the cathedral on the ruins of 
the temple, which had so often resounded with human groans, and, in the place of these blood- 
smeared idols, enshrined the mild form of the Virgin. 

It was encompassed by a stone wall about eight feet high, ornamented on the outer side 
by figures of serpents in basso-rilievo, and pierced on the four sides by gate-ways opening on 
the four principal streets. Over each gate was an arsenal, and barracks near the temple were 
garrisoned by ten thousand soldiers. The temple itself was a solid, pyramidal structure of 




Calendar Stone. 



earth and pebbles, coated externally with hewn stones. It was square, its sides facing the 
cardinal points, and was divided into five stories, each of which receded, so as to be smaller 
than that below it. The ascent was by a flight of one hundred and fourteen steps on the 
outside, so contrived that to reach the top it was necessary to pass four times round the whole 
edifice ; and the base of the temple is supposed to have been three hundred feet square. The 
summit was a large area, paved with broad, flat stones. On it were two towers or sanctuaries, 
and before each was an altar, on which a fire was kept continually burning. The top of this 
remarkable structure commanded a superb view of the city, lake, valley, and surrounding 
mountains. 

Inside the museum, to-day, one may see the old Aztec calendar, a round stone covered 
with hieroglyphics, undecipherable to us, but full of meaning to countless thousands ages ago. 
It is a mass of porphyritic stone of ten feet diameter and circular shape. In the centre is a 
human head with the tongue hanging out, cut in relief Around this head are five circles of 
hieroglyphic figures, intended for the computation of the different divisions of time in the 
calendar of the ancient Mexicans. The civil year was divided into eighteen months of twenty 
days each. The five intercalary days were added to the last month, and the fractions of hours 



38 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

were computed at the end of a cycle of fifty-two years. Thirteen years constituted a tlalpilli ; 
four of these a cycle of fifty-two years, which were represented by bundles of reeds bound 
together with a string ; two of these cycles of fifty-two years constituted another division of a 
hundred and four years, which was called an old age, — I do not remember the Mexican term. 
I copy the following extract of a very interesting letter upon the subject from the Abbe Hervas 
to Clavigero : 

"The Mexican year began on the 26th of February, a day celebrated in the era of 
Nabonassar, which was fixed by the Egyptians, seven hundred and forty-seven years before the 
Christian era, for the beginning of their month Toth, corresponding with the meridian of the 
same day. If these priests fixed upon this day as an epoch because it was celebrated in 
Egypt, we have here the Mexican calendar corresponding greatly with the Egyptian. 

"On the 26th of February of the above-mentioned year, according to the meridian of 
Alexandria, which was built three centuries after, the year properly began. The year and 
century have from time immemorial been regarded by the Mexicans with a degree of intelli- 
gence which does not at all correspond with their arts and sciences. In them they were 
certainly very inferior to the Greeks and Romans, but the discernment which appears in their 
calendar equals them to the most enlightened nations. Hence we may imagine that this 
calendar has not been the discovery of the Mexicans, but that they have received it from some 
more enlightened people, and as the last are not to be found in America, we must seek for 
them elsewhere, in Asia or in Egypt. This circumstance is confirmed by your affirmation 
that the Mexicans had their calendar from the Toltecas (originating from Asia), whose year, 
according to Boturini, was exactly adjusted by the course of the sun more than a hundred years 
before the Christian era, and also frorn observing that other nations, namely, the Chiapanese, 
made use of the same calendar with the Mexicans, without any difference but that of their 
symbols." 

In the museum, also, is their " Stone of Sacrifice," with a hollow in the middle where the 
victim was laid, while six priests, dressed in red, with green plumes on their heads, held him 
down and the chief priest cut him open, took out his heart, and offered it as a sacrifice to the 
idol of the Aztecs. Thank Heaven ! Mexico of to-day has outgrown such practices. 

When the flag of the republic was unfurled in 1821, the symbol upon it was that of the 
old native race, — the eagle and the cactus, the emblems of the Aztecs. They were a people 
without means of intercommunication, of different languages, in whom was mingled the poetry 
of paganism with the common principles of Christianity. Their intellectual classes were selfish 
and inert, their subdued classes indifferent ; their wants were simple and easily supplied, and 
therefore there was no incentive to manufactures, commerce, or education ; they knew little 
of arms and possessed none. All this made up a reason why these people did not sooner 
seize their chances for building up a representative government on the ruins of hereditary 
despotism. 

Chnging yet with the Indian pertinacity to ancient customs in dress, in traditions, and in 
manners, many of the common people seem to a stranger as far removed from the progress 
of events to-day as the fossil remains of a past age. They apply themselves to any work 
which interests them, but as soon as that is over they relapse again into indifference. Good or 
bad, the gentle, trusting, superstitious, easily yielding nature of their ancestors is repeated and 
continued in the descendants. Ages of misrule and oppression did not break their sweet 
kindliness of soul nor dull the instinctive courtesy of loyal elevation natural to the Aztec 
citizen. 



THE AZTEC CHTLIZATION 



39 



Patriotic they are, too. In spite of tlieir seeming- indifference, a strong vein of national 
spirit runs tlirough tlie people. Hidalgo, Morelos, Guerrero, Juarez, Diaz, are to them living 
embodiments of vital truths, brave lights of patriotism that no reign of terror can obliterate. 
They have kept alive the spirit of liberty. The eagerness with which, in the plazas of many 
towns, are pointed out monuments, "Chihuahua a Hidalgo" and " Tacubaya a sus Martiros," 
proves all this. 

There is everything to hope for a country whose people have this principle so strongly 
intrenched. Once let them be aroused to a proper understanding of their own importance, and 
the threads of their advance will be quickly woven into the strong fabric of progress. 







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40 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER III 



MEXICO IN GENER.\L 



mEXICO, the fairy-land of tropical flowers and majestic, snow-capped mountains, 
opens to the view of the tourist, who has hitherto followed the beaten paths 
of travel, a mine of unexpected delight in its natural wealth of scenery, 
historic associations, marked race characteristics, and evidences of steady 
advancement in the van of progress. A wonderful country it is indeed, where 
Nature has been so lavish that she causes to grow upon its surface a vegetation so varied that 
it includes almost every plant of tropical lands, together with the sturdy firs of the farthest 
north. Some strange magic seems to hold one within its gates. Perhaps it is the dreamy 
poetic strain of old Spain whose traditions still tinge the country with the romance of the Cid, 

Manrique's lays, and the last 
sigh of the Moor. Echoes of 
the Alhambra still linger in the 
graceful Moorish arches of the 
public buildings, while the gar- 
dens of King Boabdil live again 
in the beautiful Alamedas with 
their stately trees, luxuriant 
vegetation, gorgeous flowers, 
graceful monuments, elaborate 
fountains, and cool shady walks. 
In every city of any size is 
always the Alameda for the 
people ; that of the city of 
Mexico being especially artistic 
in arrangement and the profu- 
sion and beauty of its flowers. 
Side by side with the pushing 
needs of modern civilization 
and progress are to be seen 
evidences of the artist's instinct, 
which finds expression in beautiful forms of architecture, instead of the solid but unsightly 
blocks of stone which so disfigure our large American cities. 

Wonderful has been the progress of Mexico in these last fifteen years ; but it has not 
been the rapid mushroom growth of mere sordid money-getting, which leaves no time for 
beautifying the cities or ministering to the artistic sense of the people. While railroads, 




Correctional School, City of Mexico. 



MEXICO IN GENERAL 



41 




Fountain in the Alameda, City of Mexico. 



canals, and telegraph routes have been 
built, the beauty of public buildings, 
churches, monuments, and great public 
squares is not forgotten. 

In its museums are stored the an- 
tiquities of the Aztecs ; in its libraries 
are the songs and annals of its old 
Spanish writers ; in its statues are re- 
produced the features and forms of its 
heroes. With so much "local color," 
variety, and picturesqueness, it is 
stranee that this rich mine has not 

o 

been more worked by the novelist, 
poet, and dramatist of America. Our 
artists journey to Spain, Algiers, and 
Egypt, when they might find quite 
as rich material at their very doors in 
this wonderful land of picturesque 
types, tropical vegetation, and splendid 
atmospheric effects. 

True, F"rench fashions have come among the upper classes and almost crowded out the 
graceful Castilian dress ; still, the mantilla and high comb are seen to-day at high mass ; the 
ranchero, or planter, is gorgeous in his short jacket elaborately embroidered, his slashed 
trousers ornamented with gold and silver lace and buttons, his wide-rimmed and sumptuously 
adorned hat, and his shining spurs. 

The black-eyed senorita, with a rose in her hair, still peeps coquettishly from her latticed 
window or balcony at the cloaked gal- 
lant who twansfs his lute and casts Ian- 
guishing glances toward his inamorata, 
not being permitted in any other way 
to voice his passion. 

There are still in the moonlit nights 
the tinkle of guitars, the sinuous fan- 
dango, and the gypsy dance ; and, above 
all, the towering peaks of mighty moun- 
tains, the glow of volcanic fires, and the 
sunsets of a tropical land. 

Every one who goes to Mexico has 
In his note-book something like this : 
"Don't forget to see a bull-fight." 
Under the humane rule of President 
Diaz this brutal and revolting amuse- 
ment is passing into disrepute ; but 
still it exists, and is largely attended. 

Pedro Romero, in the eighteenth 
century, established rules and regula- 




Entrance to the Paseo de la Reforma. 



42 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



tions which are still followed in conducting a bull-fight. The company is made up of the 
principal espada, or swordsman, four mounted picadors, four banderilleros, who manipulate the 

sharp, barbed goads, and two capeadors, 
who distract the poor beasts by waving and 
fluttering their cloaks. The gorgeous trap- 
pings of these men make a brilliant spectacle 
as they ride into the ring. The foreign visitor 
generally shudders and says, " How horri- 
ble !" but ends by going to see the fight and 
staying it out. "It is one of the institutions 
of the country," he says, "and one must see 
everything." 

Among the higher classes social life in 
the republic is most charming. While there is 
considerable of ceremony and conventionality, 
there is also much of refinement, culture, un- 
failing courtesy, and delicate gallantry. The 
scholar, the artist, and the litterateur may all 
find congenial society. Hospitality is as 
generous as it is proverbial. One has only 
to be properly introduced to be the recipient 
of lavish attentions. Often gifts of flowers, 
birds, curios, and even valuable relics are 
offered with princely generosity. 

The women who adorn the upper circles 
of society are justly noted for their personal 
beauty, their virtues, and their accomplish- 
ments, while their charm of manner seems a part of the poetry of this romantic land of song 
and story. 

There is a good system of public schools and academies for higher education, and many 
benevolent insfitutions, all of which re- 
ceive the earnest and substantial support 
of the government. 

Railway and diligence lines have 
eliminated distances and made travellino- 
comparatively easy, and now there is no 
interesting portion of Mexico that is in- 
accessible to the tourist. 

Of the great natural resources of this 
country in its mines, fruits, woods, stone 
and marble quarries, and products of the 
soil, there is so much to say that further 
mention of these must be left to succeed- 
ing chapters. 

"Mexico has a world-wide reputation for its mineral wealth," says one writer. "It has 
given Spain untold millions, and made it one of the richest nations of the world. It has made 




In Riding Costume— Charo Suits. 




Entrance to the Alameda, City of Mexico. 



MEXICO IN GENERAL 



43 



individual millionaires in great number. It has produced since 1S21 one hundred thousand 
tons of silver and five hundred tons of crold, of the value of four billion three hundred and 
twenty million dollars. When discovered by the Spanish it promised them great mineral 
wealth, and has kept that promise." 

Mexico has all the climates of the earth, from the frozen regions of the pole, in her snow- 
clad mountains, to the equatorial heat of her tiein-as calicntes. 

What stirs the traveller to his depths when for the first time he looks down upon Mexico 
from afar? Beauteous she is, bathed in light, set in her lakes like some jewel in burnished 




Hall of Ambassadors, in the National Palace. 

silver. But it is not alone nor chiefly her beauty that draws him to her, that fills him with 
irresistible emotion ; it is that he knows himself to be looking upon another "Thebes of the 
hundred gates," upon a theatre of mighty events which succeed one another down the long 
vista of the centuries till they are lost in the mists of antiquity ; it is that gazing up at Popocate- 
petl, where he rears his snow-crowned head like some grim despot, he realizes what bloody 
dramas, what idyls of love and happiness, have been played and sung at his feet in times when 
the pyramids of Gizeh were not so much as dreamed of Not in sumptuous buildings, not in 
the beauties lavishly scattered by the hand of Nature, does that attraction consist which certain 
cities and places have for us ; it is a something which lies deeper below the surface, a m)-sterious 
essence which makes attractive their very ugliness and defects. 

Its antiquity and its variety together make Mexico endlessly interesting. The archaeologist 
and the ethnologist both find here an inexhaustible field for their inquiring spirits. And what 
diversity in the views it offers, from the interminable table-land of Anahuac to the luxuriant 



44 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



forests of Yucatan and the picturesque ranges of Lower California ! What variety ! And all 
enriched and ennobled by the historic reminiscences evoked at every step by those mute 
witnesses of a civilized past which lie everywhere. 

Science, commerce, and the arts draw many visitors to Mexico, but for the artistic or poetic 
visitor she holds treasures far exceedino- those material and inexhaustible ones which in all times 
have roused the cupidity of the entire world. Here some little town, the time-blackened walls 
of its ancient church showing through the surrounding trees, melancholy, dreaming over the 




Statue of Coi.umhus, on the Paseo. 



past ; there some castle, proud, poised upon its rock like an eagle, half hidden in century-old 
cypresses, whose boughs, hung with paxtle, sigh sadly to the breeze ; there, again, some fortress 
rising from coral beds, within whose walls more tears have been shed than there are waves in 
the salt sea around it. Buried cities one finds, the green corn waving above them ; pyramids 
of time-worn stone ; broken columns ; baths where kings have sported, carved in the solid rock ; 
grim idols, half hidden in the prickly pears, and whose weight is calculated by tons. Gloomy 
temples are there like those of India and Egypt, palaces of an architecture monstrous and 
superb as that of Assyria, hidden in savage and virgin forests whose ever-renewed youth mocks 
at cities and civilization as Eternity mocks at Time. 



CUSTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS 



45 



CHAPTER IV 



CUSTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS 



mEXICO was christened by the conquerors " New Spain," and to this day it has 
many Spanish characteristics. The city of Mexico is nearly as large as 
Madrid or Barcelona, and far surpasses both in novelty and interest. Outside 
of its wonderful picture-gallery, the finest in the world, Madrid is only an 
imitation Paris, while Barcelona is a bright, attractive modern business city. 
Mexico is all these, and, in addition, interests with Oriental scenes and sug-grestions. It has 
many of the sight-seeing attractions of Madrid, Barcelona, and gay Seville, with touches of 
scenes from the streets of Cairo. Guadalajara and Puebla are nearer the size of Seville, and 
each has manifold attractions. Guanajuato is the Mexican reminder of Toledo and Granada, 
perched on the rocky hill-sides, terraced, quaint, and picturesque. You hear the same language 
spoken as in Spain ; in both countries you pay separately for each act at a theatrical perform- 
ance ; men smoke constantly 
and everywhere, as, in fact, some 
of the women do ; while in no 
other country except old Spain 
is the bull-fight so popular an 
institution. 

And, after all, bull-fighting 
seems more or less appropriate 
to the peculiar civilization of 
Mexico. The picturesque set- 
ting that is given there calls up 
vaguely the bouts in the am- 
phitheatre in the days of Roman 
glory, and the more modern 
jousts and tournaments of our 
Anglo-Saxon forefathers. 

The best place chosen in 
Mexico City for the contest is in 
Tacubaya. The amphitheatre 
is enclosed by a wall of adobe. 

The sunny side of the enclosure is furnished with rows of wooden benches, but the shady side 
is provided with boxes for the accommodation of the grandees of the city and of distinguished 
visitors. The audiences are composed of all classes of society, — from the proud swell, with his 
four-in-hand, to the barefoot, dark-eyed, patient-faced Castillan lad. About one-fifth of the 
gathering is composed of women. In the boxes are beauties with olive skin and peach's bloom. 




Patio of the National School. 



46 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



their large, dark eyes lighting up with enthusiasm at exciting turns in the sport. Bands of 
music play lively airs, and great drums are pounded to keep the spectators satisfied during the 
preparations for the fray. Presently a herald, stationed in the governor's box, sounds a call, 
whereupon the pit opens and a troop of matadors appears. Each one wears a plumed hat, 
a scarlet sash, an appropriate jacket and breeches of black velvet trimmed with gold lace. 

A poniard hangs from his belt, 
a scarlet cloak upon his arm, 
and a pike-staff in his hand. 
Altogether the matador is an 
extremely picturesque -looking 
fellow, and his figure is usually 
lithe and dashing. Behind the 
matadors comes a troop of 
horsemen, mounted on handsome 
beasts decked out with the 
gayest trappings. Following 
comes a team of mules draeg-ing- 
a whiffletree and a long rope. 
This takes some of the romance 
and beauty out of the ensemble, 
for these mules are to drae 
the dead away from the field. 
The cavalcade stops before the 
governor's box and salutes his 
excellency, who makes a brief 
speech, commending their appearance and wishing them good luck. The matadors then go to 
a rack in front of the governor's box, upon which hang several rows of darts gaudy with 
colored paper rosettes and fringes. Upon this rack they hang their plumed hats, and then 
pause to give the spectators an opportunity to admire their attractive persons. The horsemen 
ride out, followed by the mules, and the beginning of the sport is close at hand. Again the pit 
opens, and the horsemen re-enter. A door is opened in the pit, and a bull emerges into the ring. 
As he lunges in one direction, two or three matadors flap their scarlet cloaks in his face ; when 
he turns from them and bounds in another direction, he runs into the cloaks of the other 
matadors. In a little while his temper becomes aroused, and he runs madly across the ring and 
tries to clear the wall ; but this, of course, he cannot do. If he will not attack his tormentors 
one of the horsemen rides up to him and strikes him in the face with his spear. The poor 
animal, maddened with pain, rushes at the blindfold horse, which he raises upon his horns and 
flings to the ground. The horseman knows what is coming, and dismounts just before the 
critical moment. After one horse is disposed of, others are brought out. When the bull grows 
exhausted, the matadors re-enter and tease him with their scarlet cloaks and the points of their 
lances. Should the bull suddenly turn, his tormentor, putting the point of his lance in the 
ground, vaults by its aid over the lowered horns and retreats behind some planks. The next 
part of the programme is to throw ornamented darts into the bull's side. The brute runs 
hither and thither. Soon, whoever has charge of the entertainment sounds a call, which is the 
death-signal. The chief matador steps forward with a red blanket and a sword, and, approaching 
the bull, flaps the blanket in his eyes. The bull lunges toward him, but with great precision and 




Patio of the National Preparatory School. 



CUSTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS 



47 



dexterity the matador jumps aside, and with one swift thrust puts his weapon into the bull's 
heart. The animal staggers and falls to the ground, and the matador pierces his brain with 
a poniard. The mules appear and are hitched to the dead beast ; the band strikes up ; the 
matadors bow to the aristocratic boxes, and clowns disport themselves in the ring till another 
bull is brought forth. The horses are nearly always killed, the bulls are always dispatched ; but 
the riders and matadors seldom receive any injuries. 

The Christmas customs of Mexico are uncommonly pretty and touching. The Christmas- 
tree is not a native institution, though it gives indications of becoming naturalized. In its stead 
Mexican children have what they call a pinata, which affords them just as much fun. The pinata 
is a large earthenware jar, which is covered with colored tissue-paper, often in such manner as 




A Bull-Fight. 



to represent a ship, a balloon, a grotesque human figure, or other object. This jar is filled with 
all sorts of dainties dear to children, — oranges, raisins, candy, peanuts, etc., — and is hung up in 
the corridor or court-yard of the house. Each of the children and grown-up people is blind- 
folded in turn, and, after being turned around once or twice, has a stick placed in his or her hand 
and is invited to break the pinata. The other guests have to be on their guard, for the wielder 
of the stick is o-enerally, after being turned round, quite out of his bearings, and often brings 
down his stick within an inch of the head of one of the party. He is allowed three trials, and if 
he is not successful the handkerchief is removed and another takes his turn. At length a crash 
is heard, — some one has made a true hit, — the pinata is broken and the good things fall in a 
shower to the ground, and a general scramble ensues among the young ones to obtain possession 
of as large a share as possible. 



48 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

The posadas are a characteristically Mexican celebration. They commemorate the journey 
of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This journey, performed by Mary mounted 
on an ass, which Joseph guided, is supposed to have occupied nine days. Each evening they 
naturally approached some dwelling to beg a night's shelter. It is this nightly episode that is 
commemorated in Mexican houses by the posadas, or the begging of the posada [pedir posada), 
meaning shelter, lodging, or entertainment. It is customary for a number of Mexican families 
to club together to celebrate the nine nights. At the appointed hour the guests assemble at one 
house. Each guest is provided with a taper. All the servants are invited to take part in what 
is regarded as a religious ceremony, for Catholicism in Mexico is a democratic and levelling 
element. There are no fashionable and expensive pews in Mexican churches, and one often 
sees the ragged beggar kneeling side by side with the inheritress of a hundred Castilian titles. 
A procession is formed, at the head of which are carried figures of Mary riding an ass and 
Joseph leading it. Overhead hovers an angel guiding the pilgrims on their way. The dresses 
of the holy couple are of gay-colored satin. St. Joseph is usually represented with a pilgrim's 
staff and gourd. The procession marches several times round the corridors of the house, 
intoning the Litany of Loretto, a series of poetical invocations in honor of the Virgin. When 
the litany is finished, two or three of the party enter the house, which, according to Mexican 
custom, opens on the corridor. They close the door on the rest of the party, at the head of 
which are the Virgin and Joseph. A dialogue in chanted verse then ensues, — this being the 
nightly request of the pilgrims for shelter from the cold and dangers of the road. The party 
outside speak in the name of Joseph and beg admittance for his wife and himself Those within 
at first deny the favor, but at last relent, touched by the innocence and distress of the pilgrims. 
The versicles are simply sung to a tune of immemorial antiquity in Mexico. When the doors 
are thrown open the pilgrims are placed on an improvised altar decked with quantities of lighted 
tapers, shiny tinsel, and toys of small intrinsic value. All the party kneel, and prayers are 
recited. After that a tray is passed round containing small jars filled with candy. Each guest 
is invited to take one, and with this compliment the ceremony, properly speaking, ends. In the 
patriarchal days of the viceroys the posada was a strictly religious custom, and in a few old- 
fashioned families it is so still. But in most Mexican houses the posadas are only a pretext now 
for having a good time. The religious exercises are observed in the quickest and most perfunc- 
tory manner, and a dance and general romp follow, kept up until the early hours of the morning. 
The ninth night of the posadas — that is, Christmas Eve — is celebrated on the most extensive 
and luxurious scale of all, and generally the wealthiest of all the families that have clubbed 
together gives the entertainment. In memory of the night when the Saviour was born, the 
figure of an infant is carried in procession, and is placed in a manger between the ox and the ass 
in a prettily adorned cave, which is intended to represent the stable where Mary and Joseph took 
refuge when they found that there was no room for them in the inns. 

November marks in Mexico the setting in of winter fashions. For years it has been the 
custom to partition off a portion of the Zocalo or the Alameda as a promenade for the rich and 
well-to-do. One year the whole Zocalo was enclosed and decorated with flags, mirrors, Spanish 
moss, and potted plants, and at night was lit with many-colored electric lights. On certain 
nights of the week this enclosure was frequented by all the beau monde of Mexico, who formed 
an elegantly attired throng. 

The feast day celebrated by the Catholic Church on November i is called All Saints', and 
ranks as one of the most solemn of the year. It was instituted at an early period in the history 
of the Church as a means of doing honor to the many saints to whom it was impossible to assign 



CUSTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS 



49 



a separate feast. The feast which follows on November 2 is popularly known as All Souls', and 
is the day for the commemoration of the faithful departed. On this day masses are said and 
special prayers offered by Catholics for the release of souls from purgatory. The priests wear 
black vestments, and in some of the churches a huge catafalque is erected in the centre of the 
nave. 

The origin of the feast of All Souls dates back to the year 827 a.d., when Amalario, the 
deacon of Metz, published the office for the dead ; but it was not until 998 a.d. that St. Odillon, 
abbot of Cluny, instituted in his churches this feast in commemoration of the faithful deceased. 
This feast soon prevailed in the Catholic Church. It took a rather wider range in France in the 
eighteenth century, when the laborers 
beean to dedicate o-ratuitous work, for 
the benefit of the poor of All Souls' day, 
and offered to the Church wheat, which, 
according to the Pauline designation, is 
the symbol of resurrection. 

The idea of these November feasts 
is not original with Mexico ; it has found 
root in nearly every religion. 

The feasts of All Saints and All 
Souls, althouo-h not celebrated with the 
eciat of former years, are still very 
interesting in certain portions of the 
republic, especially along the gulf coast. 
There the Indians are in the habit of 
placing upon the graves dulces, or 
sweetmeats, prepared with chilacayote 
and calabazas. The Indians place these 
dulces with large jars of water upon the 
tombs of their deceased relatives and 
friends during the afternoon of Novem- 
ber I, so that the dead— that night at least — can have something to eat and drink. This latter 
arrangement is similar to some of the customs of Germany and Central Europe. 

"Responsos" are not given everywhere in the churches, as in Mexico Cit)^ and recited 
over a skull. Out in the country district they are given in the cemeteries by some priest. 
Armed with a bough of aromatic hyssop and his well-thumbed breviary and his ready rosary, 
the priest visits the tombs, sprinkles upon them some holy water, and recites a Latin prayer or 
two. Receiving his " medio," he is jostled on to the next grave. 

The "ofrenda," or offering, is, singular to say, of Aztec origin. The Aztecs were in the 
habit of cremating their dead ; and they kept the ashes in an urn with fragments of precious 
metals, emeralds, etc., also putting in food and catlis, together with bows and arrows and a 
quantity of a great golden-hearted flower called the zcinpoalzoichitl which can be found growing 
in Mexico profusely at this day. This flower is used to decorate the sepulchres in company 
with white roses, the ruby '' Jlor de hoc he biiena" the haughty hortenses and velvety forget-me- 
nots, as well as violets, geraniums, and marguerites. In the countr)^ districts the ofrenda is 
much more elaborate than in the city. The women make handkerchiefs and napkins curiously 
embroidered, also wax figures more or less hideous, and offer these with trays of sweetmeats 

4 




Fountain of the Salto de Agua. 



50 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



on the graves. Candles are also used by thousands in the little panteons or cemeteries of the 
country. Among the simple folk in these Indian villages the local poets write up more or less 
readable "poetry," which is also Included in the offering to the dead. In some isolated portions 
of Mexico this custom prevails to such an extent that the children beg money from their parents 
to buy fruit for that purpose, or else, they say, the departed will come on Halloween and pull 
their little feet. It is impossible to give an idea of all the curious customs and incidents 
that prevail in the rural districts of Mexico with respect to the observance of these holidays. 
Halloween in Mexico does not partake of the mischievous and jocose character of the day in 
the United States and England. 

Among the characteristic sights of these days peculiar to Mexico are the strange toys sold 
on the streets and in stalls. They consist of skull and cross-bones of sugar adorned with gold 
leaf, lath coffins surrounded with priests and acolytes and containing a skeleton, miniature 
catafalques, altars, etc. Many of the coffins are so arranged that by pulling a string the lid 
opens and the dead man sits up. No Mexican child is content without one of these toys. 
The mozos and domestic servants also look at this time for their festival, to which they give the 

name of calavera (skull). It is 
a carnival of death ; a ming-Hna 
of levity with sadness. 

It is the custom to visit on 
All Souls' day the graves of de- 
parted relatives and friends, to 
place wreaths and candles round 
about, and to offer prayers. 
Any one of Mexico's cemeteries 
offers an interesting scene on 
that day. The French ceme- 
tery, where many of Mexico's 
wealthiest families have their 
vaults, is one mass of beautiful 
wreaths. The grave of Minister 
Romero Rubio, who was recently 
interred there, is hardly visible 
beneath the load of floral offer- 
ings. The tomb of Juarez, in 
the San Fernando cemetery, 
receives many mementos from 
admirers of the great Liberal statesman. The cemetery of Tepeyac, near Guadalupe, where lie 
the remains of Santa Anna and members of many of Mexico's first families, is visited by a 
throng of devout mourners, bearing costly wreaths. The abundance of trees which darkens 
the English cemetery even at mid-day makes it eminently harmonious with the tendency to sober 
meditation. This cemetery contains the tombs of the first Englishmen, almost the first foreio-n- 
ers, that ever came to this country, away back in the twenties. The American cemetery is near 
the English. There is a monument to the American soldiers who perished in the valley of 
Mexico in 1847. This receives its floral offerings on Decoration Day. But if the tourist or 
resident wishes to see a characteristically Mexican celebration of All Souls', he should go to the 
great Dolores cemetery. Except on very few tombs, he will find no French creations in the way 




Commercial School. 



CUSTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS 



51 



of wreaths, but abundance of coarse yellow flowers. In some parts of the country' it is the 
custom of the common people to place meat and drink near the grave on the eve of All Saints'. 
But this is obviously a pagan survival, which the clergy have endeavored to uproot. 

All good Americans are interested in the American cemeter)^ in Mexico. Out beyond the 
southwestern limits of the city, on the boundary line formed by what is known as the Calzada 
de la Veronica, is this little patch of ground which possesses such peculiar interest for Ameri- 
cans, and especially for those who reside in INIexico. Though on Mexican soil, it is American 
in the fullest sense of the word, for the full and perfect title therein is vested in the United 
States, and its management and control are in the hands of the War Department at Washington. 
Mexico is the only country on earth where the United States possesses a title to land for such 
purposes, and exercises authority o\-er foreign soil. It was in 1873 that the cemetery was 
subjected to the rules and regulations affecting United States national cemeteries. It was 
established in 185 1, under an act of Congress approved September 28, 1850. 

The seven hundred and fift}^ soldiers who were killed by the enginery of war on the plains 
of Mexico are buried together in a single grave. In memory of these, a simple granite shaft 
about six feet high has been raised. It stands 
on a square pedestal made of dark granite. 
On one side is the inscription, — 

TO THE MEMORY 

OF THE 

AMERICAN SOLDIERS 

WHO PERISHED IN THIS VALLEY IN 1 847, 

WHOSE BONES, 

COLLECTED BY THEIR COUNTRY'S ORDER, 

ARE HERE BURIED. 

On the other side is a marble tablet 
inserted in the granite, on which is written 
without comment, — 

CONTRERAS 

CHURUBUSCO 

MOLING DEL REY 

CHAPULTEPEC 

MEXICO. 

In addition to these seven hundred 
and fifty soldiers, five hundred and seventy- 
five have been buried in the cemetery whose 

names are all recorded, though, owing to the absence of monuments, the exact location of 
each body cannot be given. 

To obtain the right to bury there it is necessary to secure a permit from the United 
States consul-general, the permit being a voucher for the citizenship of the deceased. In 
addition to this, another permit has to be obtained from the civil authorities, which is a mere 
formalit)', as Americans, living or dead, have always received magnanimous treatment and the 




Patio of a Schooi,. 



52 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

kindest consideration from district autiiorities as well as from those of the general govern- 
ment. No graves are sold, and the selection of the last resting place lies with the superin- 
tendent. No charge is made and no expense incurred. The United States government pays 
the employees and superintendent out of the annual appropriation, and the friends of the 
deceased are at liberty to express affection by the adornment of the graves with monuments 
and flowers. 

The funeral customs of Mexico are a source of constant interest to strangers in that land, 
as the burial of the dead is a ceremony of great display. The poor rent handsome coffins, 
which they have not the means to buy, and transfer the body from its temporary casket to a 
cheap box before it is laid in the grave. Invitations are issued by messenger, and advertise- 
ments of funerals are published in the newspapers or posted at the street corners, like those 
of a bull-fight or a play. Announcements in faultless Spanish are sent to friends in big black- 
bordered envelopes, and are usually decorated with a picture of a tomb. 

There is a very pretty custom in Mexico by which all people who call upon a mourning 
family must dress in deep black. You are ushered through the darkened rooms into the 
presence of the bereaved lady, and find her charmingly and tenderly cordial and friendly. 
This is but one of the many pleasant ways the Mexicans have of paying honor to the memory 
of their beloved dead. 

During the month of November, in every village of Spain and her former colonies, the 
traditional legend of Don Juan Tenorio, dramatized by Don Jose Zorrilla, is put on the stage. 
The sentimentality of this piece seems to have an irresistible fascination for Spanish taste. 
It is impossible to understand the Spanish character without having read or heard of this 
extraordinary play. It has been said that every youth of Spanish descent would be a Don Juan, 
and every Spanish maiden a Dona Ines. It is sincerely to be hoped that this is not true, for the 
exploits of Juan in a more prosaic age and country would inevitably have qualified him for the 
gallows. The drama of Don Juan is now, however, a little off color, and is not attended by 
the beau monde. Indeed, it is pronounced by the best people of Mexico somewhat vulgar. But 
in the days of Maximilian things were otherwise ; the emperor was a great admirer of the 
drama, and at his invitation the author Zorrilla once came to Mexico to superintend some 
private productions of Don Juan at the castle of Chapultepec. Maximilian never tired of 
hearing this fantastic drama. 

Its author, Don Jose Zorrilla, was a really distinguished Spanish poet, and it is not to 
be supposed that he himself sincerely approved the false glitter and the absurd and vulgar 
bombast which are the chief ingredients of Don Juan. But, as Johnson said of Dryden, he 
probably knew it was bad enough to please, his aim being merely to satisfy the public. 

Don Juan Tenorio is the history of a lifetime. The play opens in a low Seville dive, 
where Don Juan Tenorio and Don Luis Mejia exchange wagers on their pre-eminence in crime, 
a Avager which Don Juan wins, for he proves that he has killed thirty-two men and won seventy- 
two pretty women, while Don Luis lags behind with only twenty-three men killed and fifty-six 
conquests. Don Juan then makes another bet, stranger still, and this time the life of one or 
the other is the stake, — viz., that he will rob Don Luis of his lady-love. Dona Ana del Pantoja ; 
and he succeeds. 

Don Juan was in love with Dona Ines Ulloa, daughter of the comendador de Calatrava, 
Don Gonzalo de Ulloa, who had agreed to give him her hand, but in disguise he had been 
present at the orgy in the dive and heard the recital of Juan's villanies, so he resolved to shut 
up his daughter forever in the cloister where she had been educated. Don Juan scales the 



CUSTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS 



53 



walls of the convent and carries off the lady. He afterward kills in a duel the old comendador, 
as well as his rival, Don Luis Mejia, and Dona Ines dies of grief 

In the second part of the drama Don Juan visits the graveyard where all his \ictims are 
burled. He is at first inclined to be a little overawed by his surroundings, but afterward he 
breaks into defiant blasphemies, and invites the dead comendador to sup at his table. To 
his amazement, the marble figure surmounting the monument accepts the invitation, and the 
revelry of that night is interrupted first 
by a strange knocking, and then by the 
entry into the supper-room of the mur- 
dered man's ghost. And how does 
Don Juan end ? Not on the gallows, 
as might have been hoped, but in a duel 
with Captain Centellas, and his soul, 
when claimed by his satanic majesty as 
his due, is rescued by the spirit of Dona 
Ines, with a calcium ballet in Paradise 
performed by nymphs of a very material 
and earthly order. 

No doubt " Don Juan" is a correct 
portraiture of the age and country in 
which the scene is laid. The time is 

1545- 

Even to this day the Indians ob- 
serve a fiesta on the 2 1 st of August in 
memory of the tortures to which Cuau- 
temoc and his cousin Tlacopan, Prince 
of Texcoco, were subjected by Cortez, 

who endeavored to force from Cuautemoc the secret of the hidden treasure. The monument 
dedicated to Cuautemoc on the Paseo has a relief representing Cuautemoc and Tlacopan stand- 
ing upon stone slabs, with their feet hanging over flames of fire. Around the tortured warriors 
are clustered the Spaniards, anxiously awaiting the secret which Cuautemoc never disclosed. 
"Do not be weary," he said to his tormentors; "he who has resisted famine, death, and the 
wrath of the gods is not capable of humiliating himself now like a weak woman ; the treasury 
of the kings of Mexico I submerged in the lake four days before the siege of the cit)-, and you 

will never find it." 

One of the Easter customs is the hanging in effigy of Judas Iscariot, which is done every- 
where in the country, from the plazas of the large cities down to the smallest hamlet. The 
Catholic citizens attire themselves in deep mourning throughout all of Holy Week, and on 
Saturday these grotesque figures of him who betrayed his Lord are brought out everywhere and 
hung. After this they are burned with all the contempt due to the betrayer of his Master. 

"a peculiar custom of the country is the " Bando." From time immemorial it has been the 
fashion in Mexico to proclaim publicly any changes in the government ; this was the custom long 
before the day of newspapers, and is still followed, on instructions from the war department. 
This is done in Mexico City, soon after the election of the President, in the following order. 
A division is organized consisting of two brigades, one of infantry and one of cavalry, accom- 
panied by a ligh^ Maxim batterj^. The chief of staff is attended by an adjutant with two captains 




Juarez Avf.nue. 



54 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



and three subalterns. The infantr)' brigade is commanded by its general, accompanied by two 
captains and two subalterns. The cavalry brigade is led by its general, a major, two captains, 
and two subalterns ; and a platoon of mounted gendarmes accompanies both generals. The 
" Bando" is inaugurated at nine in the morning. The aldermen and city notary accompany the 
military parade in carriages, affixing the proclamation at certain street corners, and otherwise 
making known the result of the presidential election to the inhabitants of the city, with proper 
formalities and the pomp and circumstance of military parade. This is a curious and highly 



mterestmg custom. 



Mexican women of the better class are noted for their beauty ; and everywhere the young 
girls are exquisitely pretty. The slender oval of the face, the rich olive of the cheek, the 
long, sweeping, dark lashes over superb eyes, glowing at once with passion and tenderness, 
the low forehead with its rippling mass of dusky hair, the slender neck, the lithe form, the 
springing step, and the dainty foot make them like a poet's dream of darkly brilliant loveliness, 
and not to be measured by ^ any other type in the world. 

Among the upper classes 



a degree of social and intellectual 
as quick a reception and as 
and literature as people of the 
have acquired. Their wealth is 
is exercised to a degree equal 
the world ; and the interior of 
nishes a glimpse of happiness 
their less active temperament, 
northern neighbors. Yet these 
Paris fashions and literature by 
some ancient customs. Social 
tween the sexes, as in the 
Pedro makes love to Mercedes 
a parent chooses his son-in-law 
ners or the directors in a bank. 
good manners, their politeness. 
They make excellent hosts, 
open to their guests with the most hearty generosity. 




An Indian Girl. 



of Mexico will be found as high 
refinement as exists in Paris ; 
cordial a knowledge of the arts 
busy cities of the United States 
lavishly displayed ; their taste 
to that of any other people in 
many of their dwellings fur- 
and cultured elegance that, with 
they enjoy more than do their 
people, who receive the latest 
every steamer, still cling to 
law restricts intercourse be- 
Latin nations of Europe, and 
throuo^h his father and hers ; and 
as he selects his business part- 
The people are noted for their 
and their courtesy to strangers, 
and they throw their houses 
Few even of the poorest but have a very 



respectable whiteness in their shirts and drawers, and the towels and napkins which they use 
abundantly about their baskets of cakes and dulces are snowy as laundrj^ work can make 
them. They are, besides, beautifully embroidered with the exquisite fine drawn-work for which 
■the women of Mexico are celebrated. It is astonishing what beauty and value are often 
added to coarse and common material in this way. The bodices and short-sleeved chemises of 
the young girls, and even the woollen petticoats of the Indians, are almost invariably orna- 
mented, either in colors or in white. The ease and accuracy with which intricate designs are 
conceived or followed from some minute strips of patterns are astonishing. The field laborers 
are usually dressed in white cotton, fashioned into short trousers and sleeveless shirts. The 
women are covered to the eyes in the long blue scarf or rebozo, which is part of the national 
costume. Half-naked children, with dark skins and glorious eyes, play about grated door-yards 
which open into small patios or court-yards beyond, bright sometimes with shrubs and flowers. 
The men, with wide-rimmed sombreros and gay serapes, keep a grave, dark-eyed imperturb- 



CUSTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS 



55 



ability ; or a mounted caballero rides on his small but fiery horse as if the two were but a single 
creature full of superb motion. The man wears a broad sombrero brilliant with silver braid, 
and his short, loose velvet jacket is bright with rows of silver buttons, as are also the wide 
velvet trousers which lose themselves in stirrups of fringed silver. 

The very poor live within four walls of dried mud, on a floor of the same material. Any- 
where upon this a fire of mesquite fagots may be kindled to cook the tortilla, which forms 
almost the sole food of a large class. A few crockery utensils for cooking and eating, a hand- 
brush for sweeping, some water-jars and baskets, perhaps a bundle of maguey fibres for a bed, 
and the furniture is complete. The serape is a cloak by day and covering by night. But, best 
of all, here live patience, kindliness, and content, three graces hard to account for with such 
meagre plenishing. 

And such are some of the aspects of life in Mexico. Wander forth in the morning almost 
any day in the year and you will find the blue sky a free expanse above, with the foliage lazily 




Plaza de Santo Domingo. 



swaying against it ; birds — yellow, or black with orange and crimson spots — singing or chatter- 
ing in wild freedom. There is a glimpse of water, into which the sun drops beams through the 
foliage. Plants and trees of all sorts break the scene into fascinating patterns. Flowers in 
bloom beautify and scent the dream. 

Or it is evenine, and electric lights cast a half shadow silent as a tomb : the trees and 
flowers and birds sleep, — a mysterious quiet and suggestion of luxuriant foliage that appeals to 
one in a certain mood ; but all is gay about. Then the old moon swings up from behind the 
ragged wall, between the heavy arches of trees, and the scene that you thought perfect is 



56 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



enhanced. The moon grows bigger and the scene hghter, and this, you remember, is but one 
day in beautitul Mexico. 

Everywhere the people are cheerful and simple in their ways of living. They all attend 
church, and are devotional in habit. Doubtless more prayers are said in Mexico in a single 
day than in all of the United States together ; and yet some people in the latter country want 
to send missionaries to Mexico ! 

In several different places, including Guanajuato, Mexico has a display of comparatively 
modern mummies and catacombs. The practice prevails, as in some European cities, of renting 
tomb space for the use of a corpse. In Mexico, if at the expiration of the original term there 
is no renewal of the lease, the corpse is dumped into an extensive underground chamber. 
If in the dry air the evicted mummifies, he stands against the wall ; if he tumbles to pieces, 
his bones join the Aast miscellaneous heap. The Guanajuato catacomb is ghastly enough to 

satisfy the most exacting- 
connoisseur of the grue- 
some and blood-thirsty. In 
some of the mummies 
which have recently been 
examined jade teeth have 
been found, which is 
thought to be a proof that 
the Aztec princes used to 
be supplied by their den- 
tists with handsome jade 
teeth, whenever their own 
pearly ones failed, just as 
the dentist of to-day sup- 
plies my lady with an ivory 
crown-tooth in place of her 
natural one. 

The Mexican beggars 

are not to be compared in 

deformity with those of 

Constantinople, or in persistency with those of Killarney, but they maintain a fair European 

average in both respects, and cause the American visitor who has been abroad to remember 

them in Mexico. Cortez, distinguishing Cholula from other Aztec cities, said he saw there 

o o 

"multitudes of beggars such as are to be found in the enlightened capitals of Europe." Since 
the conquest, all the other Mexican cities seem to have attained Cholula's distinction, and now 
proudly display these evidences of European enlightenment. 

Then there are street scenes of a strange and foreign aspect to the American, such as 
black street-car hearses and street-car funeral hacks. There are also curious street signs, rude 
but vigorous and highly colored pictures dejaicting scenes suggestive of the business conducted 
within, and in appropriate names in staring letters as trade-marks, so to speak, of the different 
stores. Imagine, for instance, "The Last Days of Pompeii" as a business sign, or "The Sacred 
Heart of Jesus," which is the name of a score of establishments, ranging from a saloon to a 
flour-mill; and what do you think of these as names of streets? — "Crown of Thorns Street," 
" Fifth of May Street," " Holy Ghost Street," " Blood of Christ Street," " Body of Christ Street," 





Seller of Petates. 



Seller of Fowls. 



CUSTOMS AND CHARACTERISTICS 



57 



"Mother of Sorrows Street," "Street of the Sacred Heart," "The Heart of Jesus Street," 
"Street of the Love of God," "Jesus Street," "John the Baptist Street." 

Other governments might well take pattern from the Mexican parliament. No other govern- 
ment in the world has one like it in point of courtesy and dignity. The Mexican legislature holds 
its sessions in the evenings. The seats of the members are arranged in semicircular rows, and 
the presiding officer and officials of the house sit upon a large dais, or platform. At each 
side of the platform is a sort of pulpit, from which \'ery formal addresses are delivered ; but 
unpretentious discussions taking a conversational and unimpassioned form are conducted on the 
floor of the chamber The orchestra and the galleries are divided into boxes, which are reserved 
for spectators ; but it is only a rare occasion that brings outsiders to listen to the deliberations 
of their rulers. There is much etiquette in the parliament : members appear in evening dress ; 
there is no confusion ; there is seldom any rude or improper language like that which so often 
disgraces other deliberative assemblies. Speakers are courteous, even-tempered, and apparently 
conscious of the dignity ot their position. More than three-fourths of the assemblage are white, 
and the Aztec blood is hardly traceable in the remainder. As a rule, men of character, means, 
and social position seek legislative honors, and hence it is a strong point with them to be careful 
about their honor. Extreme dignity and decorum mark the proceedings, which are always short 
and practical. The legislature meets twice in each year, in the spring and in the fall. The 
House of Representatives has one member for every forty 
thousand inhabitants, and the Senate has one senator for 
each state in the republic. 

Perhaps nowhere else in the world is graceful horseman- 
ship so common as in Mexico. The Mexican of adventure 
first thinks of a dashing horse, with showy saddle, gay saddle- 
cloth, and gleaming bridle and bridoon, bits, and rings. 
Then this high-spirited horse with his flashiest accoutre- 
ments is not complete without a rider "to match." The 
Mexican accordingly arrays himself in a bright sash, a 
flowinof cloak like that of a mediaeval cavalier, and a broad- 
brimmed sombrero. As he dashes along the streets of 
Mexican cities he suggests the gaudiest kind of butterfly, 
and he is often found beyond the city on the plains. In the 
United States territory he is the envy of the cowboy, and 
receives the sincerest form of flattery, — namely, imitation. 
It is not unusual to find an ordinar)^ American citizen, after 
three months' absence on the plains, so completely metamor- 
phosed as to be hardly distinguishable from a Mexican. 

A word should be spoken of the patient little burro, 
too, the most sedate and serious object one meets in Mexico. He is ever^^vhere to be found. 
On his stout little back is loaded freight of all kinds ; and he often carries packs much heavier 
than himself One driver can manage twenty of these plodding fellows, so gende and patient 
and trustworthy are they. And yet they never ask anything in return. 

In all the Mexican towns of any size there is a Plaza de Armas, or Central Plaza, in which 
the band plays nearly every evening, and whither every one goes. On one side of this plaza 
is invariably the cathedral ; on two of the other sides, if the town is a state capital, the gov- 
ernor's palace and the palace of the state legislature and the supreme court ; and on the fourth 




Indian from the Mountains. 



58 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

side, larcre stores or handsome private residences. According to the custom of the country 
there, " an endless chain" of girls, in groups of two, three, or four, promenade in one direction, 
with a similar chain of young men going in the opposite direction, while the older people sit on 
the benches and seats. Thus every girl can be seen in succession by every young man in the 
other chain ; and both parties make good use of their eyes. Where any mutual liking is 
evinced, or any encouragement shown, the girl's home is ascertained, and then the smitten 
youth takes to "playing bear," as it is called. That is, he promenades at certain hours back 
and forth beneath the narrow balcony on which, in this delightful climate, the inamorata sits in 
front of her apartment. He casts from time to time amorous glances, for he is not allowed 
to call at the house. If he receives encouragement, or thinks he does, he contrives in some way 
to transmit a letter. The first letter is never noticed. The second letter is answered by the 
same underground route, and either terminates or encourages his suit. If the girl's father 
approves, the youthful parties are then permitted to meet in the presence of some discreet 
elderly person until the preliminaries have been settled and the engagement announced. The 
marriage is not valid in law unless celebrated before the civil authorities, and as the women 
usually insist on being married by a priest, the hymeneal knot is thus usually twice tied in 
Mexico, as in France. 

In Guadalajara there is a double walk-way around the plaza. By tacit consent, on the 
outer one of these the young men and maidens of the lower classes, the wearers of the serapes 
and rebozos, promenade, with their endless chains going in opposite directions, while at the same 
time, on the inner walk, separated from the outer one by a row of seats, the young people of 
the upper classes do the same in their American or French costumes. In some other cities this 
matter is tacitly arranged by one class promenading around one plaza and the other class 
around another ; and in still other towns by one class promenading on certain nights and the 
other on certain other nights. 

In Mexico there is a marked absence of those race distinctions which exist in the United 
States and many parts of the Old World. There are social inequalities, and sharply marked, 
but the social distinctions arise not from caste, but from those causes which create social distinc- 
tions in any country where the people are of the same race, as in France or England. Juarez, 
the greatest man Mexico has produced, was a full-blooded Indian ; Diaz, the present able 
president, is part Indian, while many of the most distinguished men have been of pure Spanish 
descent. 




IN MEXICO CITY 



59 



CHAPTER V 



S 



IN MEXICO CITY 

EE Naples and die," the Italians used to say of their famous and lovely city. " See 
Mexico and live" is the motto of young Mexico. 

Other cities are, like Jerusalem of old, "beautiful for situation ;" others have 
magnificent buildings, wide streets, and natural beauties. But when the traveller 
first looks on Mexico, as he approaches from afar, he experiences a new stir of 
the imagination, a new strain at the heart- 
strings. For are not here some of the 
relics of the oldest civilization of this conti- 
nent ? Not only does he feel a mysterious 
quality of attraction for her beauty, bathed 
as she is in tender clinging lights, and set 
like a jewel in burnished silver lakes and 
emerald hills, but he recalls with a thrill 
of eaofer emotion that here was the first 
theatre of mighty contest between Europe 
and a coming civilization, — a contest that 
was but the forerunner of final American 
independence. 

Popocatepetl itself seems to glint down 
through a vista of centuries and wear a cap 
made up of the mists of antiquity. The 
mighty king of volcanoes has known such 
bloody scenes, such despotic wars, such 
idyls of love and passion, such dreams of 
happiness and depths of woe, that even 
the grim snow-crowned monarch suggests 
poetry, romance, and a thousand tender 
reminiscences. 

Throughout the country one experi- 
ences the same feeling before many a time- 
honored city or fortress, and gazes at relics 
innumerable. Here it is a village, old and 
peaceful before Cortez's time, or an ancient 

church where members of his army may have worshipped. There it is the ruin of some old 
Aztec temple or a relic of the Toltecs. Everywhere little towns gleam through embowering 




Senor Don Rafael Rebolla, 
Governor of the Federal District. 



6o PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

foliage, ancient cypresses wave their moss-hung branches in the breeze, buried cities lie 
calmly under growing cornfields, broken columns point upward through the cacti, grim idols 
grin in unexpected places, and beauteous fields of living green alternate with virgin forests of 
mahogany or costly dye-woods. 

Everywhere the air is poetic and dreamy with age, and the traveller is in an enchanted 
land of balmy air and soft Italian skies. 

It has been said that nowhere in the world can a more splendid scene be presented than 
the first view of Mexico, the new city of the ancient Montezumas. Against a magnificent sky 
that defies all attempts of the jsainter's art are outlined minarets and domes and spires. 
Belfries and towers mark the numerous churches and gorgeous palaces ; and the brightly 
painted houses, the gleaming lake in the background, and the snow-crowned mountains beyond, 
all go to make up a picture never to be forgotten, — a fit approach to this magnificent and 
stately capital. 

Neither does it disappoint the traveller, as do so many cities with a fine view from afar. 
Oriental in effect as it certainly is, it does not dwindle, like too many cities of the East, into 
a vulgar, squalid town as one approaches. Switzerland furnishes no more beautiful mountains 
or lakes than those which surround this city ; England and France show no more beautiful 
villages. And yet it is like neither Paris nor London. Mexico is distinctive and individual. 

It is a Western city of Eastern sumptuousness in architecture. The wide, handsome 
streets are clean, and wholesome as well ; electric lights and street-cars are seen in every part 
of the town ; hundreds of magnificent churches testify alike to the wealth and the morality of 
the people ; and the magnitude and beauty of the public buildings tell of a modern enterprise 
and ambition that place the city on a level with the foremost capitals in America. 

It appears from history that the Aztecs discovered this fair valley about the twelfth 
century, having comedown from the north. 

Fair indeed was the new country ; and here they chose to settle, some establishing homes 
on the lake-shore and others pushing on to the mountains. Anahuac they named the whole 
region ; but it was by no means vacant and awaiting their arrival. Other tribes had settled 
there long before, and these resented the appearance of the upstart Aztecs. They hovered 
about, however, loath to leave so lovely a spot, until, according to tradition, they saw a superb 
eagle, with outstretched wings, mounted on a nopal which clung to a crevice in a rock. In his 
beak he held a viper, which he was rapidly devouring. This sign was taken by them as a token 
from their gods that they should found a city. Probably there were more or less internal 
disruptions, but at last, in 1325, they established their city, calling it Tenochtitlan, in honor of 
their high priest. 

" Mexico," to which the name of the city was afterward changed by the Aztecs, came from 
Mexitli, the god of war. These men always honored the nopal, and soon after claiming the city 
raised a temple near it, afterward the Teocalli, which greatly astonished the Spaniards. Cortez 
spoke of the city as being of the size of Cordova or Seville. At least, it had a population of 
three hundred thousand when the Spaniards discovered it. There was a magnificent imperial 
palace, with twenty gates, walls of porphyry, fountains, and baths. Its sculptured roofs were 
of pine and cedar ; and gold, silver, and precious stones were used in its furnishings. There 
were also a high-priest's palace (the temple of Texzatlipoca) and several other important and 
handsome public or semi-public edifices. There was an aqueduct from Chapultepec, and 
another from Churubusco, supplying drinking-water to the city. 

But all this magnificence was razed to the ground as soon as the Spaniards had subjugated 



62 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Montezuma and his people. Even after the siege the destruction was continued. Cortez 
divided the land among- the invaders, and, after having chosen certain places for churches, 
ordered the erection of a cathedral upon the very ruins of the grand Teocalli or Aztec temple. 
With the aid of his multitudinous Indian allies, whose hatred of the Aztecs led them to work 
with zeal, seven-eighths of the city had been levelled to the ground in a few weeks, and when 
he determined to rebuild the city, he soon had four hundred thousand Indians at work. 

This first cathedral, threatened as it was by repeated attacks, served the Spanish wor- 
shippers until 1626, when the newer and grander sanctuary was sufficiently safe for a transfer 
of the holy sacraments. When this was done with all due pomp and ceremony, the temporary 

cathedral was destroyed, leaving only 
the stone outlines of the Teocalli. 

In the National Museum are two 
of these blocks which served as pedes- 
tals or columns of the old Aztec temple. 
One is curiously inlaid with feathers, 
the other is sculptured with snakes. ' 
The city of Mexico is said to bb 
the finest built city on the America|i 
continent. In some respects it certainly 
is so. In the principal streets the 
houses are all constructed according to 
the strictest architectural rules. The 
foundations of the city were laid and 
the first buildings were erected by 
Cortez, who did everything well which 
he attempted, — from building a house 
or writing a couplet to conquering an 
empire. Many of the finest buildings 
in Mexico are still owned by his 
descendants. The public square is said 
to be unsurpassed by any in the world ; it contains some twelve or fifteen acres paved with 
stone. The cathedral covers one entire side, the palace another ; the western side is occupied 
by a row of very high and substantial houses, the second stories of which project into the 
street the width of the pavement ; the lower stories are occupied by the principal retail mer- 
chants of the city. Most of these houses were built by Cortez, who, with his characteristic 
sagacity and an avarice which equally characterized him in the latter part of his life, selected 
the best portion of the city for himself. 

The President's Palace, formerly the palace of the viceroys, is an immense building three 
stories high, about five hundred feet in length, and three hundred and fifty feet wide ; it 
stands on the site of the palace of Montezuma. Only a very small part of this palace is 
appropriated to the president ; all the public offices are here, including those of the heads of 
the different departments, ministers of war, foreign relations, finance and justice, the public 
treasury, etc. 

But the cathedral, which occupies the site of the great idol temple of Montezuma, offers 
a striking contrast. It is five hundred feet long by four hundred and twenty feet wide. It 
would be superfluous to add another to the many descriptions of this famous building which 




Carriage-Road to the Castle of Chapultepec. 



IN MEXICO CITY 



63 



have already been published. Like all the other churches in Mexico, it is built in the Gothic 
style. The walls, several feet in thickness, are made of unhewn stone and lime. Upon enter- 
ing it, one is apt to recall the wild fictions of the Arabian Nights ; it seems as if the wealth of 
empires was collected there. 

The cathedral of the city of Mexico may be compared in size with the vast cathedral of 
Seville, and that of Puebla, in beauty of interior, with the best of .Spain. The only church 
in the world that, beyond question, exceeds in size the Mexican cathedral is St. Peter's at 
Rome. The Seville cathedral is three hundred and ninety-eight feet by two hundred and 
ninety-one feet, and the nave is one hundred and forty-three feet high. Baedeker gives the 
Mexican cathedral's dimensions as four hundred and twenty-five feet by two hundred feet ; 




Patio of a Private Residence in the City of Mexico. 



height, one hundred and eighty-five feet ; towers, two hundred and eighteen feet high. The 
Mexican cathedral is, therefore, higher and longer than that of Seville, but not so wide. The 
Seville structure occupies a larger area ; but a part of that vast building has fallen in, and is in 
the hands of workmen, who may be engaged upon it for centuries. According to Baedeker's 
figures, the Mexican cathedral ranks in the class of Seville and Milan, surpassed only by 
St. Peter's, and surpassing not only all other Spanish cathedrals, but every other in the world, 
including St. Paul's, London, St. Sophia, Constantinople, and the cathedi-al of Cologne. The 
city of Mexico has over sixty churches, and Puebla, the sacred city, with not over a hundred 
thousand population, has as many. Not only are these structures notable for their number, 
but many are impressive in size, architecture, and adornment. They were founded in a 
cathedral-building age, and constructed according to the plans of Spanish architects, at a time 



64 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



when Mexico was pouring countless millions into the coffers of Spain, and when there was no 
lack of money for the most extravagant projects. 

When Church property was nationalized by Juarez, and monasteries and nunneries were 
suppressed, it was found that three-fourths of the wealth of the republic had gone into the 
hands of the Church. The moneys, and to some extent the rich adornment, of the churches w^ere 
affected by Juarez's reform ; but still these structures are, as in Spain, the country of wonderful 
cathedrals, the sights most proudly pointed out to the tourist. There are churches in the most 
inaccessible spots, on the summits of pyramids, the vast artificial mounds which formed the 
favorite foundation of temples of Aztec sun-worshippers ; and thus the church edifices are 
numerous beyond conception, though many have long ago been disused or fallen into ruin. 

But to return to the city of Mexico. The modern cathedral belongs to the Doric order. 
The architecture is severe and grandiose. The interior is composed of five naves, which 

gradually increase from the central to the 
lateral ones, which are occupied by fourteen 
chapels. The high arches are supported 
on fluted columns, the middle one beine 
decorated with a capital of the greatest 
beauty, on which the visitor can admire 
paintings in distemper by the celebrated 
Jineo representing the Assumption of the 
Virgin in different groups, composed of 
the patriarchs and the most celebrated 
women of sacred history. The tabernacle 
is a modern work, far from being in har- 
mony with the severe style of the older 
edifice. The principal fagade of the cathe- 
dral — that toward the south — has three 
portals, which are composed of tw^o orders 
of architecture, the first Doric and the 
second Ionic, ornamented with statues, bas- 
reliefs, pilasters, and capitals in white mar- 
ble. The towers, which are over two 
hundred feet in height, are also composed 
of two architectural orders, the first Doric 
and the second Ionic, and are crowned 
with bell-like structures. The cornices of 
the towers in the different parts of the 
edifice support beautiful balustrades, wath 
pilasters surmounted by magnificent urns 
and handsome statues. The statues on 
the towers represent the doctors of the Church, and those of the centre portal, where the clock 
is, the theological virtues. 

The plan of the cathedral is a Latin cross, five hundred feet long and nearly two hundred 
feet high. It was estimated by a Spanish historian that over sixty thousand men had perished in 
human sacrifices upon its site. The building alone cost two million dollars, and the decorations 
far more. When these massive foundation-stones were laid, Oueen Elizabeth was monarch of 




A Stairway in the MuiNIcipal Palace. 



IN MEXICO CITY 



65 



England ; Philip II. reigned over Spain, Charles IX. in France ; Cervantes was writing " Don 
Quixote ;" Titian and Paul Veronese were painting their masterpieces ; the Turks were 
overrunning the plains of Hungary with the intention of wiping Christendom out of exist- 
ence ; Poland was a mighty empire, extending from the Baltic to the Black Sea ; Sir Francis 
Drake was just beginning his career as a navigator, and Sir Philip Sydney was writing 
"Arcadia" ; the first pipeful of tobacco had not been smoked in Europe ; there were no tele- 
scopes ; Shakespeare and Spenser, Beaumont and Fletcher, Ben Jonson and Bacon, were in 
their prime, and Russia was a savage and insignificant power. 

As you walk through the building, on either side there are different apartments filled 
from floor to ceiling with paintings, statues, vases, huge candlesticks, waiters, and a host of 




Street Scene, Cinco de Mayo, showing the National Theatre in the Distance. 

Other ardcles made of gold or silver. This, too, is only the every-day display of articles of 
least value ; the more costly are stored away in chests and closets. What must it be when 
all these are brought out, with the immense quantity of precious stones which the church is 
known to possess ? And this is only one of the churches of the city of Mexico, where there 
are between sixty and eighty others, some of them possessing litde less wealth than the cathe- 
dral. It should also be remembered that all the large cities, such as Puebla, Guadalajara, 
Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Durango, San Luis Potosi, all have a proportionate number of equally 
gorgeous establishments. 

But the immense wealth which is thus collected in the churches is not by any means all, 
or even the larger portion, of the wealth of the Mexican Church and clerg}^ They own very 
many of the finest houses in Mexico and other cities (the rents of which must be enormous), 

5 



66 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

besides valuable real estates all over the republic. Almost every person leaves a bequest in 
his will for masses for his soul, which constitute an encumbrance upon the estate, and thus 
nearly all the estates of the small proprietors are mortgaged to the Church. The property held 
by the Church in mortmain is estimated at fifty millions. 

The streets in Mexico are exceedingly wide, — much more so than is necessary, considering 
that they are not obstructed, as is the case in many cities, by drays and wagons. 

The sidewalks are uncommonly narrow. The streets are all paved with round stones, the 
sidewalks with very rough flat ones. The houses on the principal streets are all two or three 
stories high. The elevation of the rooms from the floor to the ceiling — eighteen to twenty feet 
— eives to a house of two stories a grreater heio^ht than we are accustomed to see in houses of 
three. The roofs are all terraced, and have parapet walls three or four feet high. The walls 
are built of rough stones of all shapes and sizes, and large quantities of lime mortar. They 
are very thick, — in ordinary buildings from two to three feet, and in the larger edifices of much 
greater massiveness. The foundations of most of the largest buildings are made with piles. 
Even these foundations are very insecure ; and it is surprising that they are not more so, with 
such an immense weight of stone upon such an unsteady foundation. The streets cross one 
another at right angles, dividing the whole city into squares. Each of these squares is called a 
street, and has a separate name. In most of these streets there is a church, which gives name 
to the street in which it stands. In many instances these churches and convents (that of San 
Augustin, for example) cover the whole square, — not with separate buildings, but one single 
edifice, with the usual patio or court, an open space in the centre. There is not, I believe, a 
house in the city without this court, of greater or less dimensions, in proportion to the size of 
the building. There is only one door on the lower floor, and none on the outside of the upper 
story. The door is very strongly built, and high enough for a coach to pass through. It 
opens into the patio, through which you pass to the steps leading to the upper stories, where 
almost everybody lives, except the lowest classes. 

At the period of the conquest the water of the lakes flowed through all the streets of the 
city, which were crossed in canoes or on bridges. Inundations of the city to the height of 
several feet were of frequent occurrence. These inundations were caused by the overflowing 
of the lakes San Cristobal and Zumpango, and the rush of their waters into the bed of the 
lake of Tezcuco, on an island in which the city of Mexico was, and near the border of which 
it is now situated. The city has been drained, and there is no longer the disadvantage of 
overflow. 

Since the establishment of Mexican independence the city has been the scene of several 
revolutions and insurrections, and a number of important battles have been fought in the 
vicinity, the most noted being those of Contreras and Churubusco, August 20, 1847, and of 
Chapultepec, September 13, fought between the American army under General Scott and the 
Mexican army under General Santa Anna. After this battle the Americans occupied the city 
and held it until the ratification of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in May, 1848. 



CHURCHES AND SHRINES 



67 



CHAPTER VI 



CHURCHES AND SHRINES 



mOST of the churches in Mexico are beautiful pieces of architecture. Although 
they often mingle the Italian, Moorish, and Gothic schools, they yet preserve 
a delightful harmony of design and do much toward accentuating the pic- 
turesque beauty of the country. The fagades are exquisitely finished in fine 
carving cut by loving hands into the delicate soft stone. The domes are 
either brilliant or soft with burnished tiles, and the light and graceful towers and belfries against 
the sapphire Mexican sky, make up a picture never to be forgotten by the artistic soul. 

Inside there is often to be seen some fine hand-carvincr ; sih'er railinos and candelabra, 
rare old Spanish paintings, rich tapestries, and dainty orna- 
mentations o-ive a matchless tout ensemble. The hio-ji altar 

o o 

always rises under the great cathedral dome ; the choir- 
room is in the nave, handsomely wrought in carved woods 
and furnished with wrought-metal screens. From high up 
on the wall the dim liofht filters down through small win- 
dows, while the slow monotone of a Gregorian chant floats 
from dawn till dark among the arches of the weat buildinij. 
And all the time reverent and loving worshippers glide in 
for a moment's prayer in the solemn hush, or glide out 
again to the world outside with souls refreshed and 
strengthened ; for over all is a mystical, religious atmos- 
phere so natural to the place that many a weary soul gladly 
welcomes a sanctuary here, and in the solemnity and hush 
girds on its armor anew. 

"Our Lady of Guadalupe" is one of the most beau- 
tiful buildinofs in the world. Of course it is not so larg^e 
or imposing as the cathedral, but it is artistically perfect. 
Instead of the balustrade of gold it has one of pure silver, 
and of the same size as that in the cathedral. Most of the 
vases, waiters, candlesticks, and other service are of silver 
also. The legend of the Virgin of Guadalupe runs thus ; 

In the year 1531 an Indian, Juan Diego (John James) 
morning, and as he was passing over the mountains three miles from the city he saw a lemale 
descencling from the clouds. He was terribly frightened, of course, but the figure, which turned 
out to be the Virgin Mother, told him not to be alarmed, that she was the Virgin Mar)^ ; that 
she had determined to become the patron saint of the Mexican Indians, and to take them under 
her special protection ; and that he must go to the city and tell the bishop that she wished to 




The Crown of the Virgin of Guadalupe. 



was oroinof to Mexico earlv in the 



68 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

have a church built at the foot of the mountain and dedicated to her as the patroness of the 
Mexicans. The poor Indian flew to the city, and when admitted into the presence of the bishop 
delivered the message. The bishop was incredulous and drove him off. The next day he met 
the Viro-in at the same place, and told her that the bishop would not believe him. " Very well," 
said she : " do you meet me here to-morrow at the same hour, and I will give you a proof which 
the bishop will not doubt." 

Punctual to his appointment, Juan Diego went the next day and had another interview with 
the Virgin. She told him to go up to the top of the mountain, and he would find the ground 
covered with roses, with which he should fill his apron and carry them to the bishop. The 
Indian found the roses, and, as none had ever grown there, they were, of course, placed there 
by a miracle ; he filled his apron and went again to the bishop, confident in the miraculous 
evidence of the truth of his statements which he carried with him. When he opened his apron 
of coarse maguey cloth to exhibit the roses he found that there had been painted upon it, by 
another miracle, a portrait of the Virgin, dressed, not like the poor carpenter's wife, but in a 
gorgeous cloak of blue velvet with stars of gold all over it. The bishop could hold out no 
longer. The church was ordered to be built. The Indians all contributed whatever they had, 
and came into the fold by thousands. The patron saints of the Mexicans were not mere common 
mortals : the Mother of God herself was theirs. The original miraculous portrait in a rich frame 
of gold inlaid with diamonds and pearls is still to be seen in the church which was built, and 
every Mexican has one of more or less value in his house, and of every variety, from the cheap 
engraving to the most costly painting ; below the picture are these characteristic Latin words : 
''Noil fecit talitcr omni nationi." 

The material on which the image is formed is a coarse product of the maguey plant, such 
as is still used by the Indians for their wraps and for other domestic purposes. The image 
is painted on this rough canvas, without any sizing or preparation. In fact, the canvas is 
transparent, the same image showing on both sides. At various times the picture has been 
examined by a committee of experts, composed of distinguished artists and scientific men, and 
they have deposed under oath that they could not account either for its production or for its 
preservation. The image exhibits peculiar characteristics of painting in oil, in water-color, in 
distemper, and in relief. In fact, these four dissimilar kinds of painting are discernible in 
different portions of the same canvas ; and, in addition to this, the gilding which appears in 
the stars embroidered on the garment and in the texture of the robe itself, as well as in the 
rays of light which issue from the figure, is not applied according to any known process, and 
seems rather to have been woven into the fibre than painted on it. Besides the curious 
commingling of dissimilar kinds of painting on the same canvas, there is another peculiarity 
about the picture : for years it was exposed, without any covering, not only to the smoke of 
censers and innumerable candles, but to the damp air, charged with saltpetre, which continually 
arises from the neighboring lakes and marshes, and which affects and corrodes the hardest 
substances ; and yet, after a period of more than three hundred and sixty years, this product 
of the maguey plant, which ought to have perished long ago, is still in a state of perlect 
preservation. 

At this day you can hardly enter a shop in the city of Mexico without finding a lamp 
burning before a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe. You can hardly enter a church without 
seeing an altar erected in her honor. Indeed, the Provincial Council of Antequera or Oaxaca 
specially ordains that no church shall be built in the entire province without its special altar in 
honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 



CHURCHES AND SHRINES 



69 



Every diocese in Mexico dedicates the I2tli of every month to Our Lady of Guadalupe, 
and every year sends thousands of devout pilgrims to her shrine. W' hen the patriot priest 
Hidalgo, who is called the Washington of Mexico, began the fight for independence in iSio, 
his standard and his battle-cry were "Our Lady of Guadalupe." The revolution itself, 
although it despoiled every other church in Mexico, has ever respected this shrine of Our 
Lady. In one word, the Virgin of Guadalupe has taken such hold on the IVIexican people that 
to attempt to dislodge her from their affec- 
tions would be to tear out their hearts by 
the roots. 

The church has now become the Lourdes 
of Mexico. From the time of the opening 
of the little chapel which first housed the 
painting it has been a favorite object of pil- 
grimage to the Mexicans, and many are the 
miracles of healing through the intercession 
of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Holy See, 
however, was slow in rivino- official recoeni- 
tion of the miraculous nature of the picture. 
It was not until the year 1663, one hundred 
and thirty years after the apparition, that 
Pope Alexander V. granted the petition of 
the Mexican bishops that the 1 2th of Decem- 
ber should be set apart forever as the feast 
of the Madonna of Guadalupe in Mexico. 
But the final triumph of Our Lady of Guada- 
lupe came when the sovereign pontiff Leo 
XIII. granted the petition of the Mexican 
bishops for the public coronation of the 
miraculous picture. This was the event 
which brought together thirty-eight arch- 
bishops and bishops, of whom seventeen 
were from the United States, hundreds of priests, and fifty thousand of the laity from all parts 
of Mexico, as well as from the States, on the morning of October 12, 1895. 

It was, indeed, a remarkable occasion. The archbishops and bishops, arrayed in cope 
and mitre and bearing- their crosiers, took their seats in the chancel of the church. At the 
appointed hour the rich crown prepared for the occasion was borne from the sacristy into the 
church and sanctuary by twelve of the first ladies of Mexico, and formally presented to the 
canons of the basilica. The crown was formed of gold and gems contributed by the Mexican 
ladies of wealth, who for this purpose parted with jewels which were not only of high intrinsic 
value, but were prized on account of having been long in their families. 

The crown is what is termed an "imperial diadem," and stands two and a half feet high 
and measures four feet in circumference. The rim at the base consists of twenty-two enamelled 
shields, representing the twenty-two dioceses of Mexico. Above this is a circle of angels 
issuing from roses of massive gold. Between the angels and supported by them are six enam- 
elled shields, on which are emblazoned the arms of the six archbishops of Mexico. Behind 
the angels, and extending to the apex of the crown, forming the imperial diadem, are alternate 




The Holy Well at Guadalupe. 



70 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



festoons of gold roses and diamond stars. These cluster at the top under an enamelled 
geographical globe, on which Mexico and the Gulf are represented. Above comes a Mexican 
eagle grasping the globe with one talon, while with the other it holds aloft a diamond cross. 
At the top of the cross is a ring by which the crown is held by a cherub over the painting. 
The shields are surrounded with diamonds, and between the shields are rows of sapphires and 
emeralds. In the breast of each angel flames a ruby. This crown is said to be the finest piece 
of work of its kind in religious art in existence. The maker has offered eighty thousand francs 
to any one who will discover two roses or leaves alike in the whole work. 

The abbot and canon of the basilica, on receiving the crown, bound themselves and their 
successors by oath to preserve it for the purpose for which it was given. The papal brief 
authorizing the coronation was then read, and the crown was blessed by the Archbishop of 




The Shrine of Guadalupe. 



Mexico, vested in full pontificals. A solemn pontifical mass by the same illustrious prelate was 
then celebrated. After the mass a procession was formed of all the clergy and their assistants, 
the archbishops and bishops, and celebrants of the mass. The crown, borne aloft by the 
canons, was accompanied by the entire procession through the crowded basilica and outside the 
church, making a circuit of the building, and returning to the sanctuary. Then the two arch- 
bishops who were deputed by the Holy See to put the crown in place ascended a platform some 
thirty feet above the pavement, and the glorious diadem was suspended over the miraculous 
picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe. At the moment of the coronation the enthusiasm of the 
congregation and all present could not be restrained. The whole assemblage shouted together, 
"Viva Dios !" "Viva Madre di Dios !" "Viva Mexico !" and the entire congregation burst into 



CHURCHES AND SHRIXES 71 

tears and sobs tor joy that the long-looked- for and long-prayed-for honor had at last been 
done to their beloved Madonna of Guadalupe. At this point all the bishops ascended the altar 
steps one by one and laid down their crosiers and mitres as an act of homage to the Mother 
of God ; and at the same hour all the bells of Catholic Mexico — from the Rio Grande to the 
Gulf from the Atlantic to the Pacific — rang- out the ylad tidiny-s that the Madonna of Guada- 
lupe was crowned. 

The interior of the church of Guadalupe is of the Doric order, and has three aisles, 
divided by eight pillars. There are eighteen arches, the centre one forming the dome of the 
edifice. The church runs trom north to south, and has three ereat eates, one fronting- Mexico 
and two others at the sides. Its length is, perhaps, two hundred and fifty feet, and its width 
about one hundred and thirty. In the four external angles of the church are four lofty towers, 
from the midst of which rises the dome. Three altars were at first erected, and in the middle 
one, destined for the image, was a sumptuous tabernacle of silver gilt, in which were more 
than three thousand two hundred marks of silver, and which cost nearly eighty thousand 
dollars. In the centre of this was a piece of gold weighing four thousand and fifty castellanos 
(an old Spanish coin, the fiftieth part of a mark of gold), and here the image was placed, the 
Hnen on which it is painted guarded by a silver plate of great value. The rest of the temple 
has riches corresponding. 

It appears that the present sacristy of the parochial church dates back to 1575, and was 
then a small chapel, where the miraculous image was kept, and where it remained until the 
beginning of the next century, when a new church was built, to which the image was solemnly 
transported. Even when enclosed in the first small sanctuary its fame must have been great, 
for, by orders of the archbishop, six dowries of three hundred dollars each, to be given to six 
orphans on their marriage, were annually drawn from the alms offered at her shrine. But in 
1629 Mexico suffered the terrible inundation which destroyed so large a part of the city, and 
the excellent archbishop, D. Francisco Manzo, while devoting his time and fortune to assist the 
sufferers, also gave orders that the Virgin of Guadalupe should be brought into Mexico and 
placed in the cathedral there, then of very different dimensions from the present noble building, 
occupying, it is said, the space which is now covered by the principal sacristy. When the 
waters retired and the Virgin was restored to her own sanctuary, her fame increased to a 
prodigious extent. Copies of the divine image were so multiplied that there is probably not 
an Indian hut throughout the whole country where one does not exist. Oblations and alms 
increased a thousandfold ; a silver throne, weighing upward of three hundred and fifty marks, 
and beautifully wrought, chiefly at the expense of the viceroy, Count of Salvatierra, was presented 
to her sanctuary, together with a glass case (for the image), considered at that time a wonder 
of art. At the end of the century a new temple, the present sanctuary, was begun. The 
second church was thrown down, but not until a provisional building (the actual parish church) 
was erected to receive the image. The new temple was concluded in i 709, and is said to have 
cost from six to eight hundred thousand dollars, collected from alms alone, which were solicited 
in person by the viceregal archbishop, D. Juan de Ortega y Montanez. Two private indi- 
viduals in Mexico gave, the one thirty, the other fifty, thousand dollars toward its erection. 

In 1802, some part of the walls and arches began to give way, and it was necessary to 
repair them. But first, under the direction of the celebrated sculptor Tolsa, a new altar was 
erected for the image. His first care was to collect the most beautiful marbles of the countr}^ 
for this purpose. The black he brought from Puebla, and the white, gray, and rose-colored 
from the quarries of San Jose Vizarron. He also began to work at the bronze ornaments, but 



72 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



because of the immense sums of money necessary to its execution the work was delayed for 
nearly twenty years. But, in 1826, it was recommenced with fresh vigor. The image was 
removed, meanwhile, to the neighboring convent of the Capuchins, and the same year the altar 
was concluded, and the Virgin brought back in solemn procession in the midst of an innumer- 
able multitude. This great altar, which cost from three to four hundred thousand dollars, is a 
concave hexagonal, in the midst of which rise two white marble pillars, and on each side two 
columns of rose-colored marble of the composite order, which support the arch. Between 

these are two pedestals, on which are the 
images of San Joaquin and Santa Anna, 
and two niches containing San Jose and 
San Juan Bantista. Above the cornices are 
three other pedestals, supporting the three 
archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael ; 
and above St. Michael, in the midst of 
cherubim and seraphim, is a representation 
of the Eternal Father. The space between 
the upper part of the altar and the roof is 
covered with a painted crimson curtain 
held by saints and angels. The tabernacle 
in the centre of the altar is of rose-colored 
marble, in which the image is deposited, 
and all the ornaments of the altar are of 
gilt, bronze, and silver. 

There are at Guadalupe the church 
of the Capuchin Nuns, and the churches of 
the Hill and of the Well, all in such close 
conjunction that the whole village, or city, 
as it calls itself, combine to make one 
religious establishment or confraternity, 
belonging to these temples and churches, 
united in the worship of the Virgin, and 
commemorating the "miraculous appari- 
tion" manifested to the chosen Indian, 
Juan Diego. 

The shrine of the Virgin of Guada- 
lupe is the most precious and sacred in all the republic : embodying this most beautiful and 
significant of legends as it does, pilgrims flock to it in a never-ceasing stream. 

A rival shrine, in popular interest at least, is that of the celebrated Virgin de los Remedios. 
It is on a mountain a few miles out of Mexico. The view from it is superb, commanding the 
whole plain. The church is old and very picturesque as it stands in gray, solitary state in the 
midst of a quiet expanse. 

This Virgin was brought over by Cortez, and when he displaced the Indian idols in the 
great temple of Mexico and caused them to be broken in pieces and the sanctuary to be puri- 
fied, he solemnly placed there a crucifix and this image of the Viro-in ; then, kneeline before it, 

111 <-> O O ' 

he gave solemn thanks to heaven, which had permitted him thus to adore the Most High in a 
place so long profaned by the most cruel idolatries. 




La Santi'sima Church. 



CHURCHES AND SHRINES 



73 



It is said that tliis image was brouglit to Mexico by a soldier of Cortez's army called 
Villafuerte, and that the day after the terrible Noche Triste it was concealed by him in the 
place where it was subsequently found. At all events, the image disappeared, and nothing 
further was known of it until, on the top of a barren and treeless mountain, in the heart of a 
large maguey, it was found by a fortunate Indian. Its restoration was joyfully hailed by the 
Spaniards. A church was erected on the spot. A priest was appointed to take charge of the 
miraculous image. Her fame spread abroad. Gifts of immense value were brought to her 
shrine. A treasurer was appointed to take care of her jewels, and a camarista to superintend 
her rich wardrobe. No rich dowager could die in peace until she had bequeathed to Our Lady 
of Los Remedios her largest diamond or her richest pearl. In seasons of drought she is 
brought in from her dwelling in the mountain and carried in procession through the streets. 

Wax candles are always burning before her shrine, and maids of honor are in attendance. 
Her whole wardrobe and jewels are worth more than a million of dollars, among them being 
different petticoats of diamonds, pearls, and emeralds. 




74 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER VII 

SIGHT-SEEING IN MEXICO CITY 

.^^Bjj^^HERE is so much to see in Mexico City that it is impossible to describe everything 
M \ or to say definitely which point of view is most interesting. After the cathedral, 

m 1 y however, the stranger usually seeks out the National Museum, where may be 
^^B^ seen the sacrificial stone, which has already been referred to in these pages. 
Indeed, some writers have said that of the sights in the city of Mexico the 
Museum may be considered the first and most important. To an antiquary it presents many 
curious things. It contains many Indian antiquities, — the instruments of war used by the Mexi- 
cans at the period of the conquest, bows and arrows, lances, swords, cotton armor, and their 
wooden drums, the sound of which is described by Bernal Diaz as "like a sound from hell." 

The most curious of these is the sword described by Bernal Diaz as '' espada coino iiavajas," 
a sword like razors. It was a wooden staff^ four or five feet long, with four blades, about ten 
inches in length and shaped like a razor, inserted on each side at right angles with the staff. 
These blades are made of obsidian volcanic glass, in which the country abounds, and which is 
not distinguishable from the glass of a black bottle, and is quite as brittle. Yet Bernal Diaz 
says that he has seen a horse's head cut entirely off with one of these swords. There is also 
in the Museum a mask made of this very fragile material and having the polish of the finest 
glass. 

There are some curious specimens of the paper used by the ancient Mexicans, made of 
one of a species of the cactus (of which there are in Mexico nearly two hundred varieties), 
with their still more curious hieroglyphic writing upon it. It is much to be regretted that no 
Rosetta stone has yet been discovered which furnishes a clue to Mexican hieroglyphics. If 
this is ever done, most important information may be obtained not only as to Mexican history, 
but also as to the creation and the history of the human race. 

Not only the discoverers of Mexico, but those also of every other country on this continent, 
found the natives familiar with all the leading events in the history of man up to the Deluge. 
Everything afterward was a perfect blank. With some of them the story of Adam and Eve in 
the garden was almost identical with the scriptural account. There is in the Museum of 
Mexico an ancient Mexican painting of the Deluge, the conception of which is very striking. 
Among other things we see the bird with a branch in its claw. A miniature copy of it may be 
seen in the Spanish edidon of the Abbe Clavigero's history of Mexico. 

The armor of Cortez is* there also. This was the armor in which he had fought all the 
bloody battles in that most romantic achievement of all history, — the conquest of Mexico. In 
reading the history of the conquest of Mexico by Bernal Diaz, — the most enchanting book in 
any language, combining the beauties of Ossian and Froissart, — one seems to know personally 
many of the old Spanish heroes. 

Bernal Diaz was one of the officers of Cortez, and kept a regular journal, which he after- 



SIGHT-SEEING IN MEXICO CITY 



75 



ward wrote out more fully. He came from the province of Old Castile, where every one 
spoke and wrote with great purity ; and his history is the most reliable authority upon the 
conquest of Mexico. The letters of Cortez are the reports of the commander of an army, and 
therefore, in some degree, wanting in details. Gomara obtained his facts from conversations 
with Cortez and others of the conquerors, and the book of Solis is more a romance than a 
history. But Bernal Diaz describes what he saw personally, — scenes in all of which he was an 
actor, — and in the simple style of an old soldier recounting his battles by the fireside, with 
occasionally passages of great beauty and eloquence. 

The armor of Pedro Alvarado, the greatest of Cortez's captains, is also in the Museum. 
In looking at one of these coats of mail the incredulity with which one reads the accounts of the 
battles of the conquest, when a 
hunclred Spaniards resisted such 
swarms of Mexicans, is very much 
diminished. The armor formed 
a perfect covering of polished 
steel for the whole body, leaving 
the wearer vulnerable only at 
the joints ; and with such arms 
as the Mexicans used it must 
have been an accident, and a 
very rare one, that it was pene- 
trated. The horse was almost 
as effectually protected. Besides 
the covering of other parts, all 
his body from the saddle back 
was protected with an anquera, 
which was made of the thickest 
bull's hide, and which was at- 
tached to the saddle, and covered 
all the rump of the horse down 
to his hocks. The lower part of this anquera had small pieces of iron attached to it like 
fringe, which iineled like bells. This last was an invention of Cortez's to strike his Indian 
enemies with terror. 

Nothing better illustrates the tenacity with which the Spaniards adhere to all their old 
customs and habits, which has made them so striking an exception to the advancement 
observed in every other country in this age of progress, than the fact that these anqueras 
are still in general use in Mexico. No horse is fully caparisoned without one. And this is 
by no means confined to the military, for private gentlemen also use them, — many of them 
costing a sum which would seem incredible, — bedizened with a profusion of silver and some- 
times of gold. 

It was Alvarado whose extraordinary personal beauty led the Aztecs to give him the name 
of Tonatiuh (the sun). He survived the completion of the conquest, and became Adelantado 
of Guatemala. He had projected a large expedition of discover)' in the Pacific Ocean, on 
which the ships were all ready to sail, when he went to suppress an insurrection among some 
of the Indian tribes. As he was ascending a mountain, on the sides of which the Spaniards 
and Indians were engaged in battle, one of the horses was wounded, and, tumbling down the 




The National Museum. 



76 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



mountain, fell upon and crushed Alvarado. Nothing could be more touching than the account 
by Bernal Diaz of his death and the grief of his wife. There is a street in Mexico which 
still bears his name, and commemorates the extraordinary leap which he made across one 
of the canals from which the bridge had been removed on the Noche Triste. It is called 
"El salto de Alvarado" (Alvarado's leap). Bernal Diaz says, however, that Alvarado never 
made the leap, active as he was. Whether he made the leap or not, he was a glorious hero, 
such as the world has not often seen since the discovery of gunpowder, which has had pretty 
much the same effect upon individual heroism as the discovery of the art of printing has had 
on eloquence. 

The story of "Alvarado's leap" is as follows. On that "sad night" (July i, 1520), the 
rain falling in torrents, the moon and stars refusing their light, the sky covered with thick 
clouds, Cortez commanded the silent march of his troops. Sandoval, the unconquerable 
captain, led his vanguard, and the stern hero, Pedro de Alvarado, brought up the rear. A 
bridge of wood was carried by forty soldiers, to enable the troops to pass the ditches or canals, 
which must otherwise have impeded their retreat. It is said that in choosing the night for this 
march Cortez was guided by the counsels of an astrologer. Be that as it may, the first canal 

was happily passed by means of 
the portable bridge. The senti- 
nels who guarded that point 
were overcome ; but the noise 
of the struggle attracted the 
attention of the vigilant priests, 
who in the silence of the night 
were keeping watch in the 
temple. They blew the holy 
trumpets, which called to arms 
and awakened the startled in- 
habitants from their slumbers. 
In a moment the Spaniards were 
surrounded by water and by 
land. At the second canal, 
which they had already reached, 
the combat was terrible. All 
was confusion, wounds, groans, 
and death, and the canal became 
so choked with dead bodies that 
the rear-guard passed over them as over a bridge. We are told that Cortez himself swam 
more than once over the canal, regardless of danger, cheering on his men, giving out his orders, 
every blow aimed in the direction of his voice, yet cool and intrepid as ever in the midst of all 
the clamor and confusion and darkness. But, arrived at the third canal, Alvarado, finding 
himself alone and surrounded by furious enemies, against whom it was in vain for his single 
arm to contend, fixed his lance in the bottom of the canal, and, leaning against it, gave one 
spring to the opposite shore. 

An Aztec author and contemporary of Cortez says that when the Indians beheld this 
marvellous leap and saw that their enemy was safe, they bit the dust, '' cornier on tierra ;" and 
that the children of Alvarado, who was ever after known as "Alvarado of the leap," proved in 




El Monte de Piedad. 



SIGHT-SEEING IN MEXICO CITY 77 

the course of a lawsuit before the judges of Tezcuco by competent witnesses the truth of this 
prowess of their father. In an annual called the " Mosaico Mexicano" there are some curious 
particulars concerning the " Noche Triste." It is said that the alarm was given by an old 
woman who kept a stall, and mention is made of the extraordinary valor of a lady called Maria 
de Estrada, who performed marvellous deeds with her sword, and who was afterward married to 
Don Pedro Sanchez Farfan. It is also said that when the Indians beheld the leap they called 
out, "Truly this man is the offspring of the sun;" and that this manner of tearing up the 
ground and eating earth by handfuls was a common Indian mode of expressing admiration. 

I have already mentioned the great sacrificial stone upon which human victims were 
offered to the Aztec gods. It is some four feet high and eight feet in diameter, of circular 
form, with figures in relief elaborately cut on the top and sides. It is the best specimen of 
sculpture among the antiquities of Mexico. It is a curious question how the Aztecs were 
able to cut stone without other instruments than those made of copper, jade, and obsidian. 

Custom demanded that the captive or other victim to be sacrificed should fight seven of 
their best gladiators. If he was victorious his life was spared, but if vanquished he was placed 
on this stone and his heart taken out, and whilst yet palpitating it was offered to their god. That 
this was really the sacrificial stone there can be no doubt, as the Spaniards were themselves 
made to witness the sacrifice at one time of sixty-two of their companions who fell into the 
hands of the Mexicans at the battle of the " Narrow Causeway" in Mexico, where Cortez was 
in such imminent peril. Bernal Diaz thus describes the scene : 

"And again the great drum of Huichilobos (the idol) sounded, with many smaller drums, 
and shells, whistles, and a kind of small trumpets, the combined sounds of which were most 
sad and frightful ; and when we looked above at the lofty idol temple whence the sounds came, 
we saw them pushing and buffeting our companions whom they had made prisoners when they 
defeated Cortez, as they were carrying them to be sacrificed ; and when they had arrived at the 
top of this temple where their accursed idols were kept, they put plumes on the heads of some 
of the prisoners and made them dance before Huicholobos (their idol), and immediately after 
they had finished dancing they laid them on their backs on the stones, which had been made 
for such sacrifices, and with knives made of flint they cut open their breasts and took out their 
hearts. The bodies they threw down the steps to the Indian butchers who were waiting below 
to receive them, who cut off the arms and legs and skinned the faces, which, with the beards 
on, they dressed as skins are dressed to make gloves. These they exhibited at their feasts. 
And in this manner they w^ere all sacrificed. They ate the arms and legs, the hearts and 
blood were offered to their idols, and the other parts of their bodies were thrown to the lions, 
tigers, and serpents which were kept in the menageries. All these cruelties were seen from 
our tent by Pedro Alvarado and Sandoval, and all our other captains. The curious readers 
of this narrative will imagine what our grief must have been, and we said among ourselves, 
Oh, thanks to God that they have not also sacrificed me ! And let it also be considered that, 
although we were not far off, we could not prevent it, but could only pray to God that He 
would save us from so cruel a death." 

There are many other interesting things in this museum also, among them the " Goddess 
of War" and the portraits of all the viceroys, beginning with Cortez. It contains upward of 
two hundred historical manuscripts, some in hieroglyphical character anterior to the conquest, 
and many in the different ancient languages of the country. Of ancient sculpture, it pos- 
sesses two colossal statues and many smaller ones, besides a variety of busts, heads, figures 
of animals, masks, and instruments of music or of war, curiously engraved, and indicating the 



78 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



different deorees of civilization of the different nations to whom they belonged. A great many of 
the vases of tecal, and of the candlesticks in clay, curiously worked, were taken from excava- 
tions in the Isle of Sacrifices, near Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, etc., and from the suburbs of Mexico. 
There are also a collection of very ancient medals, — to the number of six hundred, — a bronze 
bust of Philip the Fifth, and about two hundred Mexican paintings, — comprehending two collec- 
tions of the portraits of the Spanish viceroys, many of the celebrated Cabreras, — and various 
dresses, arms, and utensils from both the Californias. In the cabinet of natural history there 
is a good collection of minerals, together with some very fine specimens of gold and silver. 

The Mineria, or School of Mines, is another interesting place to visit. This magnificent 
building is a palace whose fine proportions compare well with those of any famous edifice in 
Europe. This was the work of Tolsa, Mexico's famous architect and sculptor. All is on a 
grand scale, its noble rows of pillars, great staircases, lofty roofs, and spacious apartments 
witnessing to the munificence of the rich Spaniards who contributed to its construction. 

I should not omit to notice the great national pawnshop of Mexico, El Monte de Piedad, 
the funds of which are supplied by the government, an institution under the superintendence of 

a distinguished and virtuous man. Per- 
sons who are pressed for money and 
have anything to pawn take the article 
there and have it valued, receiving in 
money two-thirds of the sum at which 
it is valued. 

El Monte de Piedad was founded 
by Senor Don Pedro Romero de 
Terreros, who was born in Spain in 
1 710, and educated at the University 
of Salamanca. His father came to 
Mexico on business, and while return- 
ing died in Vera Cruz. His son, Don 
Pedro, came to arrange his father's 
business matters, and afterward estab- 
lished himself in Oueretaro with an 
uncle, who placed him at the head of 
his business, where he showed great 
business talent and rapidly acquired 
wealth. Upon the death of his uncle' 
he invested in mines and became 
fabulously rich, but at the same time gave generously to the poor and to charitable institutions. 
The King of Spain, hearing of this, conferred upon him the titles of Caballero de la Orden de 
Calatrava and Count of Reela. 

Although he had aided so many, he wished to establish an institution which should be a 
perennial fountain from which the needy could derive succor, and thus he conceived the idea 
of this institution, — El Monte de Piedad Nacional. 

The building fronts upon the plaza, opposite the cathedral. The staircases are cut from 
blocks of lava from Popocatepetl, and the horrible heads which Cortez had placed over the 
doors and windows are still there, while in the patio are the flag-stones trodden by "the 
grandest filibuster and most pious and heroic butcher of all time." 




Statue of Cuautemoc, on the Paseo. 



SIGHT-SEEING IN MEXICO CITY 



79 



There are employed two appraisers, a mean of whose estimates is adopted. On diamonds 
and articles of unchanging value they lend up to seven-eighths of the value. The interest 
ranges from three per cent, to nine and three-fourths per cent, per annum. If the interest fails 
to be paid, the article is placed in the vault for se\'en months ; a value is then placed upon it by 
appraisers, and it is sold. If more is received for the article than covers expenses, the balance 
is placed to the credit of the depositor or his heirs, and is subject to his or their orders for one 
hundred years. If not called for in that time, it reverts to the bank. Amounts loaned var)- 
from one dollar up to several thousand. For seventy-five years the profits went to pay for 
masses for the repose of the soul of the founder, but since then they have been devoted to 
establishing branch institutions ; but, as one c'onnected with the institution remarked, after 
seventy-five years of prayer his soul would probably be out of hot water, if ever. 

Of all the spots in Mexico, the Alameda is the most beautiful. It is a public square on 
the western border of the city, containing about forty acres, enclosed by a stone wall. It is 
covered with a thick growth of poplar trees, 
whence the name. The whole square 
is intersected with walks paved with flag- 
stones. All these walks unite in the centre, 
where there is a beautiful jet d' eaii, and 
from this point they diverge in every direc- 
tion, to unite again in four or five smaller 
circles. There is a carriage-way inside of 
the wall entirely surrounding the square. 

A short distance from the Alameda is 
the Paseo, — the fashionable ride. The peo- 
ple drive every day, from five to seven, 
along the Paseo, which was planned from the 
walls of the city to the castle of Chapulte- 
pec. This boulevard, three miles in length 
and two hundred feet in width, with double 
avenues of fine trees shading stone side- 
walks, with seven g-reat circles, each three 
hundred feet in diameter, breaking its long, 
level straightness, makes a fit setting for 
the brilliant display it holds. The centre 
of each circle is to be filled with a monu- 
ment or statue, surrounded by a garden 
with fountains and flowers, around which, 
on either side, the avenue sweeps superbly. 
Through this magnificent drive-way hun- 
dreds and hundreds of brilliant equipages 
pass and repass in the late afternoon, — the 

carriages full of brightly dressed ladies, the servants in splendid and showy livery, and gilded 
youth in fine array dashing on small fiery steeds through the central space ; the young girls 
with flowers in their dark hair, the elders with head and shoulders draped in soft black lace, 
which lends grace to even a homely woman ; the cavalier, valiant in picturesque braver)' ; all 




The Noche Triste Tree. 



these meet there with nods and smiles and that fascinating- 



little Mexican greeting which is 



8o PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

spoken with the fingers. Sometimes, I may venture to say, one may see a thousand carriages 
on the Paseo. When I return to Mexico I shall go to the Paseo, the Bois de Boulogne of that 
city, with the utmost confidence of meeting all my acquaintances, and, indeed, everybody else, 
there. It is a habit of their lives to ride on the Paseo in the evening and to go to the theatre 
at night. 

The Zocalo forms a centre from which radiate many of the principal streets, making the 
Plaza Mayor one of the best known localities in the city. In the centre of the plaza is the 
Zocalo, screened with groups of orange-trees, choice shrubbery, and flowers. There are also 
a fountain and a music-stand, where out-of-door concerts are given by military bands in the 
eveninsr. 

The principal market-place in the city, until a few years ago, was situated at the southwest 
end of the Zocalo. In the plaza is a curious monument to Enrico Martinez, the famous 
engineer by whom the drainage of the valley was effected by the cut of Nochistongo. On a 
base surrounded by an iron railing having bronze lamps at its angles is raised a square pedestal 
of marble supporting a female figure in bronze, emblematic of the city of Mexico, modelled by 
the sculptor Noresa. 

What stories the Zocalo might tell of human sacrifices and stern Aztec priests, mad fights 
of Spaniards and fierce natives, brilliant processions of Castilian viceroys, enthusiastic patriots, 
clerical bigots, and red-handed revolutionists ! 

The Zocalo is in a lively and beautiful plaza, both by day and by night, and, whether in the 
sun's blaze or in the mellow rays of the moon, it is always a scene of varied and engrossing 
enchantment. The walks are as smooth as marble, the flowers are grouped in exquisite 
designs, snowy statuary gleams through the veiling foliage, and from the centre of this grand 
park issue delicious strains of music. There is no place on earth that compares with this in 
the gayety and variety of the types it presents. It is a living, moving, breathing kaleidoscope 
of all nations, colors, types, and costumes, from ladies and gentlemen of the most exalted rank 
to groups of bull-fighters, poor peons, and ragged Indians. So fairy-like and bewildering is the 
scene that one can scarcely realize that it is a nineteenth century reality and not a dream of the 
time of the Arabian Nights. 




V?\f\r^^/?y 



THE MARKETS AND CHAPULTEPEC 



8i 



CHAPTER VIII 



THE MARKETS AND CHAPULTEPEC 



^k L^ISITORS to Mexico are always attracted by the markets, and writers invariably devote 

■ I ■ many pages to their description. In the markets may be found all the flowers, 

^1 / fruits, and vegetables of a tropical climate. Most of them are raised near the city 

^K or on the floating gardens of La Viga, and on the canals may be seen hundreds 

of boatmen paddling along with their crafts filled with gay blossoms. 

In the markets are many characteristic types. Each class of the population wears a 

garb which is the uniform of its occupation. The water-carrier, in armor of leather, bears his 

heavy jar suspended from a band around the forehead ; the ochre-man, stained like a terra-cotta 

image from head to foot, carries his 

package of brick-colored clay above his 

matted locks ; the fruit-vender, crying 

his luscious wares in sudden shrill 

monotone, balances his enormous pan- 
nier on his head, and steps as airily 

as if he were beginning- a fandang-o. 

Under the open arches of- the portales 

the crockery-merchant sits before his 

pile of Guadalajara jars and brightly 

glazed pottery ; Indian women carry 

their double load of baskets and babies 

with the superb indifference to fatigue 

which marks their race ; dealers in 

"frozen waters" call their sherbets in 

prolonged piercing notes like those of 

a midsummer locust ; sidewalk cooks 

squat on their haunches beside small 

fires of mesquite, over which bubble 

earthen dishes of stewed vegetables, 

frijoles, or crisp tortillas ; and flower- 
girls sit in the midst of piles of glowing poppies, pyramids of heliotrope and pansies, baskets of 

scarlet cactus blossoms, and tangled heaps of superb roses magnificent in color and perfume, 

which fill the atmosphere with fragrant beauty. 

In every direction the roads running out from the city of Mexico are broad, well-kept 

avenues, and there are none of the squalid mean districts so characteristic of the suburbs of 

Northern cities. These roads wind between massive cottonwood-trees, through flourishing 

6 




The Arcades. 



82 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



fields carefully cultivated. Velvety green meadows form the fringe to Mexico, rather than the 
mean hovels too often seen in other cities. Bridges and aqueducts, rivulets and ditches, dis- 
tribute the sparkling water through these, and consequently the fields teem with rich harvests 

in their season. 

Everywhere are the signs of fertility and bounteousness, and over all, shining in the clear 
life-o-iving air, are the summits of Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuari, rising in supreme and stately 
beauty. The spires and domes of the great city glow with varied color, and there is withal an 

Oriental mino-linsj of white walls and arches, 
trees, gardens, and fountains against a 
masfnificent background. 

The streets of Mexico are', in a meas- 
ure, unlike those of any other city we have 
so far visited. Straight, wide, and lined 
with handsome houses, built of stone and 
two or three stories in height, the city lacks 
that Eastern aspect which narrow lanes of 
blank adobe walls give to the lesser Mexi- 
can towns. The large windows of the 
handsomer houses open on to small stone 
balconies, and these latter, ornamented 
often by carvings, and always by balus- 
trades of wrought iron, brightened by gild- 
ing and color, and shaded by linen awnings, 
make a feature in themselves. Here, on 
Sunday and f€te-day, as well as toward 
evening, the youth of the city gathers, in 
the full dress of private life ; and the stolen 
glances which form the only intercourse 
allowed between the sexes flash back and 
forth between youth and maiden. Even 
though deprived of the opportunity for in- 
terchange of vows, for hand clasping and 
tender oreetinQ- it is self-evident that a 
young Mexican girl, true to the traditions 
of her Castilian forebears, can make as much havoc with her languishing dark eyes and the 
softly fluttering fan which supplements them as any girl arrayed in the more modern outfit of 
courtship. The pretty girls are exquisite ; the slender oval of the face, the rich olive of the 
cheek, the long sweeping dark lashes over superb eyes glowing at once with passion and 
tenderness, the low forehead with its rippling mass of dusky hair, the slender neck, the lithe 
form, the springing step, and the dainty foot, make these girls like a poet's dream of darkly 
brilliant loveliness, not to be measured by any type with which we have been heretofore 
familiar. 

The large and well-paved avenues cross the city at right angles, overflowing with shops 
of every description, well stocked, and for the most part conducted by French and Germans. 
Native traders offer their wares under the portales and in the open market-places which are to 
be found in every quarter. Nothing in the city is of greater interest than these crowded and 




The Gateway to Chapultepec. 



84 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



seemino-ly disordered piles of merchandise, attended by groups of swarthy merchants, men 
and women. The bright foreign air gives to even the smallest lane an interest and novelty. 
Every occupation has its distinctive mark in dress ; and this, with the varying costumes of 
Indian, Spaniard, Mexican, Frenchman, and American filling the narrow pavements, gives con- 
stant variety to the swaying crowd. Anywhere along the curb-stone native men or women 
sit down to rest with basket or bundle ; and some of the groups thus made are exceedingly 

picturesque. Each long vista, gay with 
color and life, is closed at last by some 
towering mountain height, which frowns 
or smiles as sun or shadow rests upon it. 
The best hotel is the Iturbide, a good 
sjaecimen of the best Mexican hotel, — 
larger and finer than most, on account of 
its original use as the palace of the old 
emperor, but following the same general 
plan. Entered from the street by a large 
archway, the house rises around a fine 
court-yard, upon which each of the four 
stories opens in a succession of galleries 
supported by arches and pillars of stone. 
Every room has a hinged window opening 
to the floor and entering directly on these 
airy, shaded balconies. Over the case- 
ments and corridors leading to the state 
apartments elaborate carvings ornament 
the heavy stone trimmings, and projecting 
from the flat roof with long gutter-pipes 
of metal protruding from their grinning 
mouths, a line of grotesque gargoyles, of 
CTreat size and strikingf artistic effect, sur- 
rounds the four sides. Other arches open 
in three directions on other courts, and 
broad stone stairways lead to the upper 
stories. The rooms, opening usually by 
one great balconied window on the street as well as on the inner courts, are large, charmingly 
cool, well furnished, and scrupulously clean. 

The Paseo runs now quite out to the hill and palace of Chapultepec, the favorite pleasure- 
garden and resting-place of Montezuma. The hill is a solid mass of rock nearly two hundred 
feet higher than the surrounding country. At its foot are semi-tropical gardens and the 
famous cypress groves, while all around among the great towering trees are noble avenues 
and beautiful drives. The cypress forest is not surpassed in magnificence anywhere on this 
continent. The grand old trees, most of which must date back for many centuries, tower up 
to a tremendous height, and stand in sombre majesty the solemn guardians of the treasures of 
animal and vegetable life below them. 

From their lower branches festoons and soft draperies of long, gray moss sway lightly 
over the dim aisles below, and here the wood in its twilight indistinctness is like some vast 




One of the large Cypress-Trees in the Grove of Chapultepec. 



THE MARKETS AND CHAPULTEPEC 



85 



cathedral or a dream of paradise. The largest of these trees have a girth of over forty feet, 
and are as stately and graceful and straight as any Northern pine. 

The view after one has emerged from these shaded avenues and come out onto the hill 
of Chapultepec is beyond description. The foreground of majestic cypresses ; the broad bright 
fields beyond ; emerald patches edged vi'ith cactus-hedges ; the country roads fading into the 
blue distance ; the glowing city shining in the sun, with its myriad towers and domes and 
minarets ; the sparkling lake ; the villages dotted here and there throughout the valley ; the 




Sala. in the Palace of Chapultepec. 



wonderfully clear atmosphere ; and around all, guarding it as the "mountains round about Jeru- 
salem," the amethystine mountains, crowned by those always marvellous white luminous sum- 
mits, Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuari, — what artist could transcribe the scene to canvas, what 
pen reproduce it on common paper? Well may it be called the "Valley Beautiful." 

The marble castle of Chapultepec was first built under the direction of Maximilian, and has 
since been restored for the occupancy of the presidents. 

The castle itself modern though it may be, seems like a tradition. The Viceroy Galvez, 
who built it, was of a by-gone race. But Chapultepec should be visited in the morning, when the 
dew is on the grass, or in the evening, when the last rays of the sun are gilding with rosy light 
the snowy summits of the volcanoes. Here for centuries has stood " Montezuma's Cypress," 
a stupendous tree, dark, solemn, and stately, of majestic height, and forty-one feet in circum- 
ference. A second cypress standing near, of almost equal size, is even more graceful, and 
they and all the noble trees which adorn these speaking solitudes are covered with a creeping 
plant resembling gray moss, hanging over every branch like long gray hair, giving them a 



86 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

venerable and druidical look. Here one may wander through the noble avenues and rest 
under the trees, walk through the tangled shrubberies, bright with flowers and colored berries, 
or enter the cave and stand by the large clear tank, and then climb the precipitous ascent on 
which stands the castle. 

From the terrace that runs around the castle the view forms the most magnificent jDano- 
rama that can be imagined. The whole valley of Mexico lies stretched out as in a map : — the 
city itself with its innumerable churches and convents ; the great aqueducts which cross the 
plain ; the avenues of elms and poplars which lead to the city ; the villages, lakes, and plains 
which surround it ; to the north, the magnificent cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe ; to the 
south, the villages of San Augustin, San Angel, and Tacubaya, which are embowered in trees 
and look like an immense garden. And though in the plains below there are many unculti- 
vated fields and many buildings falling to ruin, yet with its glorious enclosure of lofty moun- 
tains, off whose giant sides great volumes of misty clouds are ever rolling, and with its 
turquoise sky forever smiling on the scene, the whole landscape, as viewed from this height, 
is one of unparalleled beauty. 

Chapultepec, only a short league from Mexico, is perhaps the most haunted by recollections 
of all the traditionary sites of which Mexico can boast. Could these hoary cypresses speak, 
what tales might they not disclose, standing there with their long gray beards and outstretched, 
venerable arms, century after century, already old when Montezuma was a boy, and still 
vigorous in the days of Bustamente ! There the last of the Aztec emperors wandered with his 
dark-eyed ladies. Under the shade of these gigantic trees he rested, perhaps smoked his 
"tobacco mingled with amber," and slept, his dreams unhaunted by visions of the stern trav- 
eller from the far East, whose sails even then were perhaps within sight of the shore. In these 
tanks he bathed. Here were his gardens and his aviaries and his fish-ponds. Through these 
woods he may have been carried by his young nobles in his open litter, under a splendid dais, 
stepping out upon the rich stuffs which his slaves spread before him on that green and 
velvet turf 

And from the very rock where the castle stands he may have looked out upon his fertile 
valley and great capital, with its canoe-covered lakes and outspreading villages and temples 
and gardens of flowers, no care for the future darkening the bright vision. 

Tradition says that now these caves and pools and woods are haunted by the shade of the 
conqueror's Indian love, the far-famed Dona Marina. 

The castle is indeed a beautiful building-. A double row of light and eleo-ant arches in 
white and pale-tinted marbles marks the broad colonnades, from which the main body of the 
palace springs into the air with an effect of great delicacy and beauty. All the rooms open on 
these marble balconies ; and on the uppermost flight, reached by an exquisite stairway with 
gilded balustrades, have been built fountains and terraced gardens, enchanting as the hanging 
gardens of Babylon. Around under the arches the walls have been painted in fine copies of 
Pompeian frescos and Greek designs, executed with great purity both of color and of form. 
This flowery arbor, perfumed and beautiful, forms the centre around which cluster the rooms 
of the palace. These are convenient for the purpose of summer residence, and contain some 
marvellous ceilings, wherein Cupids play among tangled flower-wreaths or blow on conch-shells 
to waken sleeping Love. And over all the wonderful outlook makes it ideal. 

Adjoining the palace, the military academy gives a passing opportunity to note the system 
of instruction provided by the government to prepare its future soldiers and scientists. 



THE MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 87 



CHAPTER IX 

THE MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 

^^liN DEPENDENCE DAY in Mexico means the same tiling from the Mexican stand- 

^^^ point as the Fourth of July means in the United States; and on that day Mexico 

II celebrates two events of national importance : President Diaz was born at eleven 

M^W' o'clock P.M., September 15, 1830, and one hour later, at twelve o'clock of the i6th, 

was first inaugurated the birthday of Mexican independence. After General Diaz 

became president of the republic the custom was changed to inaugurate Independence Day and 

the president's birthday at the same time. On the night of September 15, 1896, for instance, 

at exactly eleven o'clock, there went up from the plazas of the great cities, from plain and 

valley and mountain top, one mighty shout from tens of thousands of freemen's throats, " \'iva 

Mexico !" " Viva el Presidente !" 

Congress held its reunion and adjourned at eleven o'clock to participate in the celebration. 
At that moment a salute of twenty-one guns was fired by the national guard, and there followed 
an uninterrupted hour of festivities. A banquet was given at Chapultepec to President Diaz 
by the Mexican army, when the secretary of war congratulated the president in the name of 
the army on reaching his sixty-fifth birthday and on being so firmly intrenched in the hearts of 
his people. Besides the army, the diplomatic corps, the Mexican cabinet, and many of the 
prominent people were present at this brilliant occasion. 

On the 14th it is customary for the people of the city of Mexico to celebrate President 
Diaz's birthday with their unrivalled "Battle of Flowers." The sixty-fifth anniversary of his 
birth was celebrated in the city of Mexico by nearly a quarter of a million of people. It was 
a great day, and when "fair Tenochtitlan" arrays herself for 2. fiesta the display rivals anything 
ever seen elsewhere on the continent. It was on this occasion a continued rivalry between the 
beauty and loveliness of the brilliantly-robed ladies and the masses of gorgeous, many-hued 
flowers. This celebration is observed with the utmost informality. It is one of the days \vhen 
everybody has full license. The rich and the poor mingle and pelt one another with flowers in 
the most democratic manner. It is an occasion on which the rich prepare splendid spectacles 
and brilliant displays, which the poor are allowed to witness and enjoy in the freest manner. 
The day is intended as an object-lesson, teaching loyal t)' to the republic through the faithful 
observation of the birthday of its president. On the occasion in question there could have 
been seen before sunrise large numbers of Indians coming from every section, down the moun- 
tains, through the thoroughfares and byways, across the valley, and through every gatewa)-, 
into the city, bearing- large supplies of the choicest and rarest flowers. These early comers 
hastened through the streets to the humble homes or shops of their relatives or friends, and 
before ten o'clock every building of note in the city was profusely decorated in honor of the 
occasion. Numerous fine bands were brought from barracks and from the capitals of other 



THE MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 



89 



provinces or states. These were stationed along San Francisco Street at the crossings between 
the Alameda and the palace. 

Shordy after ten o'clock the president and Mrs. Diaz took position on one of the balconies 
of the Jockey Club building, and the long procession was soon in motion. The scene presented 
was striking in beauty. There were countless fine carriages, barouches, four- and six-in-hands, 
tandems, all bedecked with flowers in artistic taste. There was raging a continuous batrie, 
even the president taking a lively part. The streets were strewn with flowers. They showered 
from balconies and house-tops. 

Visitors, especially Americans, were delighted with the inexhaustible supply of flowers and 
the innate taste of the Mexican people. The passing pageant was in harmony with the pre- 
vailing architecture. Graven house-fronts, 
statuary, escutcheons, fantastic ironwork 
of balconies, the tiles of the porcelain 
palace, all helped to frame a picture the 
like of which no other city on the continent 
can hope to rival. Such is the wonderful 
spectacle of Mexico's floral carnival. 

The story of Mexico's Liberty Bell is 
most interesting. In September, 18 10, 
when Hidalgo and his little band of 
patriots were secretly consulting how they 
could best effect the freedom of Mexico, 
this bell was rung to sound the first note 
of Mexican liberty. It hung in a little 
church in the hamlet of Dolores Hidalgo, 
near the city of Queretaro. On the 15th 
of September, as the little band of patriots 
were counselling together, a special courier 
came hastening thither with a messaoe 
from the Corregidora Senora Doming-uez 
to the effect that their plot for freedom 
had been discovered by the Spaniards. 
This lady's memory is revered to-day 
throughout Mexico, and the key-hole in 
Queretaro where she listened to the 
Spanish councils is one of the sights of 
that city. On the Mexican Independence 
Day her picture is exhibited in the city side by side with that of Hidalgo. When Hidalgo 
received the news at Dolores he had this bell rung to summon all the patriots in the vicinity, 
and made a stirring speech, which resulted in their starting out together to strike the first blow 
in the revolution. The bell weighs 982 kilogrammes ; its height is .78 of a metre ; its circum- 
ference at the base is 3.298 metres. The following inscription is on the bell: 

DE S. S. JOSEPH 
2 2 DE JULTO DE 1 768. 

It is made of copper and silver, with enough of the latter metal to give it the silvery ring for 
which it was sD famous. 




The Liberty Bell. — iSio. 



90 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



The celebration September 14, 1S96, was marked by the transportation of Mexico's Liberty 
Bell to the National Palace. It was mounted on a car handsomely decorated for the occasion 
with red and white flowers and with gilded wheels. At the front was a Mexican eagle with 
wings outstretched. Immediately behind was an old brass cannon cast by Hidalgo in 181 1, 
and behind the cannon was a group of trumpets, arms, gun-sponges, picks, and shovels. Next 
was the bell itself, which is inscribed with the date of its founding, July 22, 1768, and with its 
name. Over it was an artificial wreath of laurel and oak, and behind was another military 
trophy. At the end of the car was a gilded star with a crimson oval centre inscribed with the 
word " Independencia" in gilt letters, and above it " 1810." 

The procession included all the prominent officials of the state and country, and awoke the 
enthusiasm of thousands of people on the route to the palace. Flowers, serpentines, and 




RURALES ON THE i6tH OF SeI'TEMBER. 



confetti were showered upon them as the dignitaries followed the car to the lively strains of the 
band. At the Plaza Major every foot of space was crowded by sight-seers. When this 
magnificent pageant reached the front of the palace several speeches were made. 

The bell had been brought from the village church of Dolores Hidalgo in Guanajuato, and 
General Rocha made the first speech, praising the achievements of General Diaz in establishing 
order and good government throuo-hout Mexico. He said the notes of this bell would be 
a perpetual reminder to the people of the exploits of their favorite heroes, and implored all 
Mexicans to swear that they would rather die than submit to foreign dictation. The bell 
which in Dolores awakened patriotism may be again the tocsin to summon the Mexican 
people to die in defence of their country. 



THE MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 91 

General Diaz replied in an inspiring speech full of patriotism, declaring- that the notes of 
the bell would seem to the people like the voice of Hidalgo embalmed in metal. Every year, 
he promised, this bell shall be rung to recall the heroes of the past, to encourage the people 
to defend Mexican independence and to continue the work of national regeneration, of which 
the struggle for independence was only the preface. After this the band struck up the national 
anthem, the cathedral bells were set rineine, a thousand doves, with neck-bands of the Mexican 
tricolor, were let loose, and, amid acclamations from thousands of throats, the bell was raised 
to Its place at the front of the palace. The troops then marched past, saluting the bell, and 
the ceremony came to an end. 

The capital of Mexico is changing perhaps more rapidly and radically than any other city 
of the country. Many of the residences are lighted with electricity. It goes without sajing 
that they are handsomely furnished. Streets in the city of Mexico are paved and kept clean 
and in good repair. The street-car lines extend into the country for miles beyond the city 
limits, and run in all directions out from Cathedral Square. These cars are drawn by mules, 
and are by no means slow. Indeed, the way these little animals throw up their hind legs, as if 
afraid the cars will catch up with their heels, is very amusing. The drivers are mostly Indians. 

A very pleasant thing in connection with the car service is that you can hire a car by the 
day, going how and where you please. In this way you can visit all parts of the city and 
suburbs, switching off at different points and connecting with different lines, taking out a 
party of friends with you, and being left, when evening comes, at your own door, ^^llere else 
can this pleasure be indulged in ? 

Another custom in Mexico City is to use these cars for funeral purposes. When a funeral 
is to take place, the corpse is placed in a car with wheels so arranged that the)" will run either 
on or off the car-tracks. Mourners follow in a special car with white linen curtains at the 
windows. The drivers are in black, and the funeral cortege passes in a solemn and decorous 
manner to the cemetery. 

The big drainage canal, leading to and through the mountains thirty miles distant. Is prac- 
tically finished. This Is one of the greatest engineering works of the century. The city of 
Mexico stands In the centre of a valley hemmed in on all sides by high mountains. The 
distance across It Is from forty to slxt)' miles. 

The canal starts at San Lazaro, running tAventy-nine miles along the eastern side of the 
Guadalupe range, crossing lakes San Cristobal, Xaltocano, and Zumpango, and arriving at the 
mouth of the tunnel near the town of Zumpango. 




92 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER X 

GENERAL PORFIRIO DIAZ 

^^B^^HE personality of General Porfirio Diaz is widely known as the President of Mexico, 
m I and the greater nations of Europe and America have all come to realize his 

^ \j superior statesmanship. He is to-day one of the great men of his century. 
^^H^ The history of his remarkable career, military as well as political and admin- 
istrative, has occupied the pens of many intelligent writers, but none have yet 
been able to do him justice. 

He was born September 15, 1830, in the city of Oaxaca, in the state of the same name, — 
the evening before the glorious anniversary of national independence. His parents were 
Don Jose Faustino Diaz and Dona Petrona Mory. Oaxaca has been styled "the dwelling-place 
of heroes in the garden of the gods," "the Eden of America," "tomb of the conquerors and 
the cradle of patriots." The state, although mountainous, is rich in agricultural and mineral 
productions. The scenery is grand, and the spot is well adapted to be the cradle of sons who 
should be the hope of the nation and who should raise aloft the standard of liberty. 

The ancestors of Porfirio Diaz were Spaniards who left their mother-country in the first 
years of the conquest. His father possessed in a high degree all the natural qualities necessary 
to make him a patriot, a soldier, or a statesman. He was tall, symmetrical, muscular, and active, 
and carried himself in a manner indicating him to be a man of great resolution. While we find 
that he was, like his son, most affable in his manners, of a good heart, and extremely generous, 
yet if an injury or injustice was done him, he resented it with the greatest determination and 
energy. This quality exists in all great men, who, while ever ready to have justice done, are 
also prompt to punish evil. One who enters into combat, whether physical or moral, will never 
come off conqueror unless possessed of force and perseverance. 

President Diaz's mother, of the family of Morys, came from Asturias, whose strong- and 
valiant sons were noted for their independent spirit and their ancient hneage, possessing the 
impetuosity of the Celts and the frankness and integrity of the Goths. Senorita Mory's grand- 
father, a Spaniard, married in the Mixteca an Indian woman, who was General Diaz's great- 
grandmother, so that in the veins of Don Porfirio is mixed the blood of the proudest provinces 
of Spain with that of the highest nations of America, as the Mixtecas were fully as advanced in 
civilization as the Aztecs. 

His father rented in Oaxaca the property known as the Meson de la Soledad, where Don 
Porfirio was born. There were six other children, two of whom died in infancy. In 1S33 the 
Asiatic cholera invaded Mexico, and among its victims was Captain Diaz. This was a great 
blow to the family, as the mother's health was delicate and the children were young ; but she 
had all the energy of her race, and after her husband's death she continued to manage the inn 
{meson), and showed in every way great firmness and intelligence, maintaining with vigor in all 



GENERAL PORFIRIO DIAZ 93 

her acts her integrity as wife and mother. She possessed fine feehngs, was industrious and 
hospitable, courteous and dignified. With ah her modesty and dehcate instincts, she was bra\-e, 
and in those tumultuous times, if necessary, could use arms in defence of herself and children. 
Her great desire was that her children should receive such intellectual development as should 
fit them for any place which they should be called to occupy. 

Don Porfirio was in a primary school until he was seven years old. At fourteen he entered 
the seminary directed by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics. There were several reasons for his 
entering this seminary rather than the government Institute of Arts and Sciences. First, busi- 
ness matters had not been prosperous with his mother, and little by little she had been obliged 
to sell portions of houses, etc., to maintain and educate her family. In the seminary aid was 
rendered by bright students (although he was not a boarder in the institute), besides which, 
the father had desired that his sons be educated for the Church. The clerg)' used all their 
influence to augment the number of their pupils from good families, seeing that they were losing 
ground among the principal classes, especially since independence had been established. 

After studying for a time to prepare himself, our hero felt that he should do something to 
aid his mother, whose means had become exhausted, and he commenced to give lessons in his 
leisure hours. While doing this he came in contact with Don Marcos Perez, judge of the 
Supreme Court of the state and professor in the Government Institute of Arts and Sciences. 
Senor Perez became very fond of young Porfirio, whom he often took to the Institute, discussing 
with him the tendency of extending civil and religious liberty. 

One day Perez invited him to be present at the distribution of prizes in the Civil College 
of the state. The governor, Benito Juarez, was present, and Porfirio was presented to him. 
Juarez knew Porfirio's father slightly, and had heard of the manly efforts Porfirio was making to 
get an education in order to be his mother's staff and comfort. The governor spoke encour- 
agingly, and young Diaz found therein the fountain of ambition and source of desires, hopes, 
and aspirations such as he had never dreamed of before, and he could hardly sleep that night 
as he thought of the wonderful words, the magnetism, the intellect, and the influence of the 
great man. As he looked about upon his country he saw nothing but perdition, the curse of 
Spain and the pernicious results of ill-directed efforts to force upon the Mexican people a foreign 
religion and civilization, and he resolved to consecrate his life to his country. As a little boy 
in his play he had ever been a soldier, and had always been made a leader or general by the 
other boys, so that his inclinations toward and capacity for a military life were early recognized 
by his friends. 

When the war with the United States commenced, in 1846, Porfirio's heart was filled with 
enthusiasm to fight for his country, and he and several of his college mates petitioned the 
governor to send them to the front that they might help fight the enemy. Governor Guerque 
smiled, but placed their names on his list, and the youths were inscribed upon the roll of the 
national guard, consisting of one battalion, which, by reason of the extreme youth of those 
composing it, received the epithet " Better than nothing." 

When Porfirio was nineteen and had finished his preparatory studies, the bishop offered 
to confer on him in the following year the lesser orders and to give him a scholarship ; but Diaz 
then declared his intention of studying jurisprudence in the Institute. The prelate was surprised 
at a young man in needy circumstances disregarding such valuable aid. It was considered 
a crazy decision. His uncle, the bishop, withdrew his help and forbade him his house, which 
made the young man's mother inconsolable. 

Maternal tears affected the heart of the affectionate son, and, although insensible to the 



54 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

counsels of the bishop, as also to his threats, he promised to do as his mother desired. But, 
althouo-h a pious and devoted churchwoman, with great desires for his spiritual and temporal 
prosperity, she did not wish to go contrary to his will and to oblige or persuade him to follow a 
calling that would be disagreeable to him : so she, left him free to follow his inclinations. 

She lived long enough to see the practical wisdom of her son's determination, as after a 
few years came that blow which destroyed the power of the Church and placed a limit upon its 
influence, while men of intelligence and position found free scope in the profession of the law. 

Porfirio Diaz entered the Institute and commenced in a systematic manner the study of 
jurisprudence, helping himself by teaching. Juarez, who had not forgotten him, gave him — 
unsought, as Diaz never asked favors — the position of librarian. After four years of study, 
having been elected assistant professor of Roman law even before graduating, he had, in 
compliance with the law, to enter a law office and practise two years, as the course of study 
required. Benito Juarez was now practising law, his term of governor having expired. 

During this time — 1853 — Santa Anna, who had been made dictator, improved every oppor- 
tunity to destroy his enemies, and Juarez was arrested and taken to Vera Cruz, whence, after 
having received most cruel treatment in prison, he embarked for Havana, going eventually to 
New Orleans to live. His business affairs were passed over to his associate, Senor Perez ; 
but, the latter having been imprisoned shordy after for holding correspondence with some of the 
enemies of Santa Anna, Porfirio Diaz took sole charge. Here he gave proof of his honesty 
and activity, and showed great skill in the exercise of his profession. 

Seeing the injusdce exercised in voting for the dictator, he and other students were indig- 
nant at the unwarrantable exercise of power. However, when he saw the frauds committed, 
the young patriot could endure it no longer, and he and one other went to the table where 
the negative list was to be voted. An order was soon issued for their arrest, and they were 
obliged to flee. 

Shortly after Diaz was called to put into practice what he had learned in his military drill ; 
and, although only twenty-five, he was found fully competent to direct soldiers, and in the moun- 
tains of the Mixteca joined a small company of patriots, two or three hundred in number, com- 
manded by Captain Herrera, who opposed the dictator. Herrera recognized his competency 
and took his advice. Soon after, though few in number, having but few arms, and being but 
poorly disciplined, they gained a victory at Scotongo over the large and well-disciplined forces 
of Santa Anna. 

When Santa Anna was overthrown and the liberal government was established, Porfirio 
returned, and was rewarded by being made chief of police in the district of Ixtlan. Shortly 
after, when the national guard was formally organized, he was elected captain of the fourth 
company of the second battalion, and, yielding to his military inclinations, resigned his position 
as chief of police, with its salary of one hundred and forty dollars a month, to accept that of 
captain at sixty dollars. 

In 1857 he went out under Lieutenant-Colonel Velasco to put down an uprising in Jamil- 
tepec. At Ixcapax he was badly wounded, but, seeing that one of his lines was in great danger, 
without heeding the blood streaming from his wounds he went forward, and with rare military 
courage so diverted the enemy as to defeat them. 

His mother died about the end of 1858, while he was in Tehuantepec. Through all his 
vicissitudes he had ever been an affectionate and obedient son, and her death caused him great 
sorrow. 

It was in that year that he went to Tehuantepec under General Ignacio Mejia to fight Cabos, 



GENERAL PORFIRIO DIAZ 



95 



who was defeated at Jalapa, and while there he was made military commander of that district. 
He maintained the government in that region, contending against an enemy superior in strength, 
without aid from the general government, and counting only upon the resources which he alone 
knew how to obtain. He remained in Tehuantepec two years, fighting almost every day against 
large odds. Again he was wounded, but the victory was complete, and he was advanced from 
the rank of major to that of lieutenant-colonel. Discretion and prudence united to patriotism 
and noble aspirations have ever been the base of his military character. 

The extraction by a surgeon from the United States of a ball that he had carried in his body 
for months relieved him from the acute physical suffering that he had long endured. Soon after 
he received his commission as lieutenant-colonel for a victory obtained in June, 1859, in Mi.xte- 
quilla. For another one gained in Tehuantepec in November, 1859, the government rewarded 




National Library. 



him with the rank of colonel. On the 5th of August Diaz won another victor}^ over Cabos in 
Oaxaca. He had only seven hundred men and three pieces of artillery, while Cabos had two 
thousand men and twelve pieces. Diaz, although wounded in the foot, remained in the saddle, 
and, while weak and faint from the loss of blood, continued to give orders and inspire his sol- 
diers, until he saw his enemy put to flight and the victory won. Shortly after he was attacked 
with typhoid fever, but was much encouraged during his sickness by the knowledge that his 
fellow-citizens had honored him by his appointment as deputy to the General Congress in 
recognition of the ereat services he had rendered his countr\'. 

Diaz ever loved above all other things a military life, and he could not bear the thought of 
separating himself from the army. On the battle-field, surrounded by his faithful companions, he 



96 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

experienced more than anywhere else the pleasure of satisfied ambition. There he could open 
up for himself a way without contending against the jealousies and envy which were to be 
encountered in legislative halls. The hardships of war had been until now his sweets of life, 
and the noise of battle still resounded in his ears like sweet and harmonious music. But he had 
to submit to his lot and repair to the capital of the republic, there to work as a legislator, having 
gained another step on the ladder of success. Although virtually the Conservative forces were 
destroyed, some chiefs, who could find no better occupation than to live by war, -were aided by 
the Church and the prospect of booty. Leonardo Marquez, one of the most prominent of these 
revolutionary chiefs, on June 24, 1861, attempted an attack on the capital. Congress was in 
session when the unexpected news reached them of his arrival. Diaz, being, as he said, 
"a soldier above all things," asked permission to retire, and hastened to the scene of danger. 
The forces from Oaxaca, which were quartered in the convent of San Fernando under General 
Mejia, resisted Marquez's attack, and Colonel Diaz's arrival was celebrated with cheers from his 
old companions in arms, whose enthusiasm he served to revive. Mejia gladly accepted his aid, 
and the victory was theirs. The importance of the aid that Diaz here gave can be better under- 
stood from the reward that the government conferred on him by giving the command of the 
brigade of Oaxaca to him, — General Mejia being then ill, — with the order to join Ortega's 
division and to march on and destroy the rest of the Conservative forces. Suffice it to say that 
on the 13th of August, 1861, the fourth anniversary of one of his first triumphs, Diaz, with a few 
soldiers, gained another victory over Marquez and his four thousand men. In his attack upon 
Marquez he had disobeyed General Ortega, and it was not pleasant to the latter to feel that all 
the glory of that campaign belonged to a subordinate. But Ortega hastened to recommend him. 
The entrance of Diaz into the capital was one triumphal march, and the government had awarded 
him the rank of brigadier-general. 

Shortly afterward Benito Juarez was elected president of the republic, and the French 
invaded the country. On the 5th of May, 1862, General Diaz gained a notable victory over the 
invaders at Puebla de los Aneeles. General Zarao-oza was the commander-in-chief in this 

o o 

eneaeement, General Diaz commandino- a division. 

The writer is under obligations to General Hinojosa, late secretary of war, for the following : 

" In the report rendered to the secretary of war by Ignacio Zaragoza, the general com- 
manding the Liberal forces of the constitutional government of President Juarez, giving the 
detail of the battle of Puebla, of the 5th of May, 1862, in which the invading army of France 
was defeated, is found the following : 

" ' On the 4th I ordered the brigades under command of Generals Berriozabal, Diaz, and 
Lamadrid to form three columns of attack, the first being composed of one thousand and 
eighty-two men, the second of one thousand, and the third of one thousand and twenty. 
General Diaz with two sections of his brigade and one from that of Lamadrid, with two field- 
pieces, and the remaining one from Abzarer, not only held the enemy in check but repulsed the 
column that made a bold attack on our position. Thus repulsed, they fell back upon the hacienda 
of San Jose Rentaria, where they united with the force repulsed from the hill, which, having 
reorganized, was preparing for the defensive, having already made loop-holes in the heavy walls 
of the buildings. 

" 'Although they had been routed, I could not attack them in that position, their numerical 
force being so much superior to mine ; consequently I recalled General Diaz, who, with great 
ardor and gallantry, was following them up, and ordered that simply a menacing attitude be 
maintained.' " 



GENERAL PORFIRIO DIAZ 97 

On the 1 6th of March, 1S63, the French General Forey marched upon Puebla with 
twenty-six thousand men, and, after a brave defence. General Ortega wisely surrendered, 
having refused to capitulate. On the 1 7th of May the white flag invited the French to enter 
and receive as prisoners eleven thousand soldiers and fifteen hundred officials. It was difficult 
to guard so many prisoners, and Diaz and Berriozabal took the first opportunity of escaping, 
as others afterward did ; and the two generals, especially Diaz, were received in Me.xico with 
enthusiastic demonstrations. Again he was given the command of a division when Juarez evacu- 
ated the city of Mexico. He left his command to General Comonfort and went to Oaxaca to 
organize the Army of the East. Marshal Bazaine went in command of eighteen thousand men 
and forty-eight pieces of artillery to attack Diaz in Oaxaca. Diaz surrendered, and was sent a 
prisoner to Puebla, but escaped. Ten thousand dollars was offered for his capture or proof of 
his death. He gathered together a small force, and here and there would have engagements, 
with varying success. But the brilliant triumphs of Miahuatlan and La Carbonera over the 
French brought back to General Diaz all the lustre and fame that he had rained as the most 
prominent general of the country. While the battles themselves were eclipsed by many of his 
previous victories, they were most notable for the indisputable establishment of republican 
supremacy in all the vast region of the south, — the result of more than a year of vigorous and 
persevering efforts. 

He again organized new troops, and defeated Visoza at Julingo, state of Puebla, on the 
ist of October, 1865. He then went to La Providencia, where General Juan Alvarez gave him 
some two hundred arms, and he again defeated Visoza at Comitlipa, state of Guerrero, on the 
4th of December, 1865. He fought successfully against General Ortega at Pinotepo and 
Jametepec, state of Oaxaca, in March, 1866. He again defeated the Imperialists, under Major 
Cevallos, at Puebla, state of Oaxaca, on the 14th of the same month. At Nochistan, in the 
same state, Diaz fought Hungarian cavalry under the Count of Gauz, who was killed on the field. 
At Miahuatlan General Diaz captured over one thousand muskets and two pieces of artil- 
lery, with all the ammunition of the enemy. A battalion of chasseurs under French officers 
was captured ; the colonel, Hourie Icolart, was killed. 

From Miahuatlan he marched to the city of Oaxaca, and while besieging that capital he 
learned that the Imperial government had sent a column under command of Baron Luker, an 
Austrian officer, to relieve the besieged garrison of Oaxaca. General Diaz decided at once to 
march on the approaching relief column, which he met at La Carbonera on the 1 8th of October, 
1866; and, after routing it completely, he returned to Oaxaca, when the garrison surrendered 
on the 31st of the same month. He thus obtained forty-two pieces of artillery, twenty-five 
hundred muskets, and all the garrison provision and stores. 

The I St of November, 1866, General Diaz entered his natal city to be crowned with laurel 
as its liberator. On April 2 he won at Puebla another glorious victory, which made the walls 
of the empire totter, as Puebla was one of the invader's three strongholds. Among the 
prisoners were eleven generals and three bishops. By law all the officers taken prisoner were 
to be shot as traitors, and even foreigners were to suffer the same fate after the French armies 
had been withdrawn. Presenting himself before the eleven generals, Diaz politely invited them 
to follow him, without being guarded, to the episcopal palace, where were six hundred officials, 
many of them occupied with confession and making their final arrangements, as they knew the 
fate that had befallen other prisoners. 

"Gentlemen," said Diaz, "it is very painful to me, — it is impossible for me to execute 
the punishment which the law imposes, and there is no alternative for me but to make you 

7 



98 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

prisoners ; but I remember well my own sufferings while a prisoner in this same place, and I 
wish to prevent your being put to such straits. Go, then ; you are free. All I ask of you is 
that you promise me to put yourselves at the disposition of the supreme government if you 
are so ordered. The nation will pronounce its sentence upon the empire, but it will be indul- 
p-ent to its misg-uided sons." 

This general amnesty, which only found its parallel at Appomattox, caused on all sides 
a great deal of satisfaction. Men who had before been enemies pledged themselves here- 
after to be friends. Many turned away to hide their tears. General Diaz himself was pro- 
foundly moved. Among the prisoners was a colonel who was ashamed and fearful at the same 
time, and could not believe that he was free ; for when Count von Thun had fixed the price of 
ten thousand dollars upon the head of General Diaz when he escaped from Puebla, this Colonel 
Escamilla (then chief of police of Izucar) had offered another thousand from his own pocket. 
The general understood well his captive's feelings, and said, " Colonel, that imprudent action 
was suggested by blind duty : let us forget it." From that time Escamilla was one of his most 
loyal partisans. 

After the occupation of the city of Oaxaca, General Diaz marched to Tehuantepec, but the 
enemy overtook him at Lachitova, under command of Colonel Toledo, and on the 19th of 
December, 1866, General Diaz defeated him, drivinof him back. On the 26th of the same 
month he again defeated Colonel Toledo's forces at Tequisisitan. 

General Diaz then returned to Oaxaca, where he reorganized his army and marched his 
forces to Puebla, which city was invested on the 3d of March, 1867, and was taken by assault 
on the 2d of April following. 

His tempering with magnanimity the rigor of the law, avoiding the baptism of blood, had 
its influence on the fall of the city of Mexico, winning for Diaz great praise among friends 
and enemies. General Tamariz, who died shortly afterward, said, with emotion, "Twice Diaz 
has conquered me by his military talent and once by his generosity. With pleasure I would 
serve such a man, although it were as a common soldier." 

After the capture of Puebla, General Diaz went to meet the Imperial General Marques, 
who had left Oueretaro to relieve Mexico, and who was marching against Puebla. On the 5th 
of April General Diaz overtook Marques at San Diego Notario, where a battle was fought, 
ending in the defeat of Marques. General Diaz followed up his victory, and met Marques 
again at San Lorenzo on the loth of April, defeating him completely. Marques came to the 
city of Mexico with a small force of Hungarian cavalrymen. 

General Diaz then came on to Mexico, establishing himself in Tacubaya, and commenced 
operations to put the city in a state of siege. On the 14th of May General Escobedo took 
Oueretaro. Maximilian was tried by court-martial, and was condemned to death in accordance 
with his own decree of the 3d of October, 1865, that all officers taken prisoner should be shot. 
As General Arteaga and all the republican generals had been, so was he put to death. 

Maximilian, the ex-emperor, with Miramon and Mejia, his principal generals, were shot on 
the 19th of June, 1867, victims of Napoleon the Little. 

Diaz had continued with great vigor the siege of the capital, and on the 20th of June the 
Conservatives yielded, and he entered the city quietly and took a small house in the suburbs, 
having his office in the School of Mines. No banner of any sort was raised on the palace until 
the 15th of July, when Juarez himself hoisted the flag, for which occasion our loyal general had 
reserved twenty thousand dollars, with the object of making a celebration worthy of the occa- 
sion. The contrast between this spectacle and the modest asylum of the victorious leader 



GENERAL PORFIRIO DIAZ 



99 



impressed the people in fa\-or of one who, with utter forgetfuhiess of self had thou-ht onl)' of 
the welfare of his fellow-citizens. On rendering his accounts, he delix'ered to the treasur)- one 
hundred and forty thousand dollars, — an act which caused great astonishment, as the expenses 
of the war had been so enormous compared with the resources at command. 

The day following the surrender of Me.xico Diaz presented his resignation as commander 
of the line and Army of the East, and after a few months returned to his nati\e cit)-, Oaxaca, 
which with open arms welcomed the hero home again. His was one triumphal march from the 
capital to his home. He was given by the legislature of Oaxaca the Hacienda de la Noria, to 
which he retired, living there quietly for two years, resting from his labors and fatiguing marches. 

He had formed, even when quite young, an attachment for Delfina Ortega y Reyes, and 
on the day of the surrender of Puebla, the 2d of April, that memorable day in which he gave 
liberty to the captives, he was joined in matrimony to the woman of his choice. Senora de Diaz 
possessed great sweetness of character and kindness of heart, and her greatest pleasure was in 
w^orks of charity and in aiding the elevation and education of her sex, taking upon herself the 
care of a college for girls which her husband had founded. She was naturall)' timid, which, 
combined with her inborn graces, made her a most attractive woman. 

Benito Juarez was now president, and Diaz was elected as deputy to Congress for his state. 
The country continued in a state of re\olution, and great judgment and tact were needed to 
keep the peace. On July 18, 1872, Juarez died, and Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada succeeded him. 
Lerdo was afterward elected to the presidency, but, there being much dissatisfaction by reason 
of his attitude against the Church party, and of a feeling among the soldiers that General Diaz 
should be the president, the revolutions continued throughout the country. General Diaz, on 
December 5, 1875, took steamer at Vera Cruz and went to the United States. Later, in com- 
pany with others in whom he had confidence, he gathered an army in the states of Tamaulipas 
and Coahuila, and returned to Mexico. But he was overcome and obliged to make his escape. 
He embarked on the steamer City of Havana, having taken precautions to change his name 
and, as much as possible, his appearance. He knew many on board, but they did not recognize 
him, and all went well until their arrival at Tampico, where a company embarked for \"era Cruz, 
and he w^as recognized by them. Seeing that he was suspected and that the officers were 
making preparations to take him prisoner, at dusk he let himself down over the steamer's side 
into the water, hoping to escape the sharks and swim to the shore. But his enemies had 
been watching, and cried out, " Man overboard !" Soon the oars were plying ; and, although he 
made good time swimming, he was overtaken and carried back to the steamer. As they were 
about to make him a prisoner, Diaz called the captain and asked protection under the United 
States flag. The captain acceded to his request until arriving at \^era Cruz. Although there 
had been a guard at his state-room, he went to the purser's room with a life-preserver, desiring 
to make his escape again, but the purser, Mr. Coney, persuaded him to hide himself in his sofa 
and let the life-preserver down into the sea, in order that they might think he had realh' escaped 
thereby. This was done, and the life-preserver was afterward picked up on shore, where many 
testified that there were blood-stains on it and signs that it had been bitten by a shark. An 
examination afterward proved the stains to be iron-rust. 

Great was the commotion when it was discovered early the following morning that General 
Diaz had escaped. The troops and crew united in searching the steamer, and frequently were 
in very close proximity to him in his hiding-place. Finally an official report announcing his 
disappearance was sent out, making it appear that the general had been drowned. For 
one week he remained in his place of torture, as it was the custom of the Mexican officials 



lOO 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



to o-ather in the purser's room and drink and play until morning, and he did not wish to 
have a stop put to that pastime, so that there should be no suspicion in regard to the state- 
room. 

Although in Vera Cruz the steamer was surrounded by soldiers, Diaz escaped them, in the 
dress of a seaman, with some workmen in a cotton lighter. He passed through many vicissi- 
tudes, and at last, on November i6, 1876, with an armed force gained a victory over the Lerdists 
at Tecoac. 

Lerdo, hearing of the loss to his party and of the brilliant victory of Diaz, started, with 
some of the faithful members of his cabinet and with what money he could lay his hands on, on 
November 20, 1876, for Acapulco, there taking passage for the United States. General Diaz 




The Palace of Mines. 



entered Mexico on the 23d of the same month, and five days afterward assumed the executive 
power. He formed his cabinet, raised a loan of five hundred thousand dollars to commence 
the new administration, and, leaving General Mendez as president ad interim, went out to finish 
up with the revolutionary element. 

There were then really three presidents of Mexico, — Lerdo, who, however, had abandoned 
the country ; Iglesias, who had been chief justice, or vice-president, under the Lerdo govern- 
ment ; and Diaz. Iglesias, realizing the desperate condition in which he was placed, followed 
Lerdo's example, embarking at Manzanillo for San Francisco, California, on the 17th of January, 
1877. For two montlis General Diaz marched from the central states toward Guadalajara, 
capturing all the Lerdist troops without firing a single shot. At the end of the two months 
he relieved General Mendez and took his seat as the actual president of the republic. 



GENERAL FOR EI RIO DIAZ loi 

Many radical improvements were made in all lines, and, with the exception of a few re\olu- 
tionary movements, the country again began to enjoy peace and quiet. Friendly relations were 
established with foreign powers, and confidence was at last inspired in the new government. 
After having served his term as president, General Manuel Gonzalez, who had tlistinguished 
himself as a military man by the side of General Diaz, was elected to succeed him. 

The popularity of President Diaz was heightened by the influence of his wife, Dona Del- 
fina, whose mission on earth was love and charity, as was shown by her interest in hospitals and 
schools. She had one son, and on April 2, 1880, the anniversary of the famous victory of General 
Diaz in Puebla, a daughter was born, to whom was gi\'en, in commemoration of the event, the 
name of Victoria. The whole country united in the double congratulations ; but the child lived 
only a few days, and the mother followed immediately afterward, on April 8, being the first wife 
of a president to die in the National Palace. Her remains were deposited in the Guadalupe 
Cemetery with appropriate ceremonies. So that year of Diaz's presidency, so happy for the 
country and so glorious for him, was co\-ered with a dark cloud of personal sorrow. 

For a time under President Gonzalez General Diaz was Ministro de F"omento, but retired 
in May, 1881. Soon after he was elected senator from the state of Morelos, and governor of 
Oaxaca, which latter position he took November 30, 18S1. Two years after the death of his 
wife he married Carmen, a notably beautiful brunette, eldest daughter of Senor Romero Rubio. 
They harmonized well, — he the personification of strength, she of beauty and purity. Simple, 
without affectation, she unites to a kindly heart a most admirable presence of mind and dignit)^ 
She speaks with facility English and French ; every one is delighted with her affability and the 
sweetness and melody of her voice. They spent part of their honeymoon in the United States, 
where they were everywhere received with honors, special trains being put at their disposal and 
great courtesy shown them by all. 

On December i, 1884, the second presidential period of General Diaz was inaugurated. 
The ceremony took place in Congress Hall, formerly the Iturbide Theatre. The diplomatic 
corps were in full dress, while General Diaz had on a simple black suit. In five minutes after 
he appeared he had taken the oath of office and retired as quietly as he came to the palace, 
there to receive the congratulations of General Gonzalez and to appoint his cabinet. 

Under President Diaz's administration many reforms in the constitution and laws of the 
country have been made, and the result is that there exists under him a security which was 
never before known in the republic. His liberal ideas, his enthusiasm for the development of 
the country, and his previous honest administration enabled him to begin his second term 
under much better conditions than existed durinof his first ; and asfain the confidence of the 
public was not misplaced, since during his second administration Mexico progressed more than 
ever before. 

Diaz's life has been identified with that of the Mexican republic for the last forty years. 
The life of this really wonderful man presents man}' points and lessons for future generations 
to study. He is to-day, as he has been for many years, the first soldier of the republic, and, 
what is better, its first citizen. From the very bottom of the ladder, from a young lieutenant 
at the age of twenty-three to the highest commission in the army, as its general- in-chief his 
career has been spotless and brilliant. 

But it is not most as a soldier that he has won the admiration and fame which he enjoys 
to-day, at home as well as abroad. It is as a statesman, in his civil duties, in the many political, 
financial, and diplomatic questions which he has so successfully solved, that the greatness of 
Porfirio Diaz must be considered. 



I02 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

It is a well-known fact that when he assumed the presidency the country was bankrupt and 
disorder reigned supreme throughout the republic. From the beginning he started to work 
with a will and check all the evils with which his country was afflicted. / 

All Mexico regarded him as the first soldier of the nation, but few, if any, thought that he 
possessed the quality of a statesman. Happily, he proved to be as good a statesman as he 
had been a soldier. He pacified the country. The public treasury, instead of being plundered, 
as in former times, was devoted only to the services of the nation, and at the end of his first 
presidential term, in 1880, the country began to observe the change which, like a magician, he 
had effected in so few years. Every industry had been helped by the government. Mining and 
agriculture had received a vigorous impulse. The national credit, which for many years had 
been an unknown quantity, was re-established, and the monetary centres in Europe, which a 
few years before would not lend Mexico a single dollar, were willing to lend millions to a 
country governed by so upright, honest, and iron-handed a president. 

His countrymen regarded him as a soldier, but not as a statesman, yet this soldier has made 
the great pacific revolution of the century. Through his iron will and energy the most revolu- 
tionary country in the world has been changed to the most pacific, and those who regarded him 
as not possessing the qualities that go to make a statesman of the first order have seen their 
mistake, and to-day look upon him no longer as merely the first soldier but as the first states- 
man. To-day, as yesterday, no man is so popular as he ; to-day, as yesterday, his whole aim, 
his great ambition, is to see his beloved country developed and respected and occupying among 
nations that place to which she is entitled by reason of her wonderful natural resources. 

When Diaz was elected president in 1877 the country was in turmoil and revolution. The 
primitive roads and many of the towns to which they led were at the mercy of revolutionists 
and raiders, and there was but one railway, that from Vera Cruz to Mexico. Since the beginning 
of Diaz's regime railways have been reaching out into all parts of the country and new lines 
proposed and built. In 1876 Mexico had no means of constructing railways, and, having been 
regarded for so many years as incapable of paying its debts, it would have been impossible to 
raise money to build the desired roads. Business stagnation and financial disrepute were the 
conditions of the Mexico of that day. Thanks to the administration of General Diaz, the 
country is not only solvent but prosperous, its people are profoundly peaceful and contented, 
the foreign residents are in hearty co-operation with the Mexican citizens in promoting the well- 
being of the country, and both foreigners and natives see in the re-election of Diaz a guarantee 
of continued protection and encouragement and advancement in all forms of legitimate and 
useful enterprises. 

In his daily life President Diaz is a remarkable man. He is a human dynamo, and infuses 
life and vigor into every department of his administration. To-day, although in the sixties, he 
is as alert and active as he was at forty. Take him all in all, he is one of the greatest men of 
the century. Whether he is at his city house, in Cadena Street, or in his summer home, in the 
castle of Chapultepec, occupying the apartments where Maximilian resided, his routine of life 
goes on with clock-like regularity. Everything is systematized in the daily life of the Mexican 
president. He gives from one to two hours every morning to a conference with his able and 
energetic minister of finance, Sefior Jose Ives Limantour, one of the youngest cabinet ministers 
in America. General Diaz is determined to maintain the credit of the nation, and is as much 
interested in all the details of financial administration as he is in military administration. He is 
an early riser, and his accomplished private secretary, Senor Rafael Chausal, who opens the 
voluminous daily mail of the chief magistrate, by eight o'clock in the morning must be ready 



GENERAL PORFIRIO DIAZ 103 

to sit down with him to receive instructions for the immediate answering of even the most insig- 
nificant note. At half-past one he stops work and is driven in his coupe, unattended by military 
escort, to his home, where he dines at leisure. He is a simple liver, preferring a soup and a 
plain roast to the most elaborate menu, and drinking ver)^ sparingly. He cares little for 
tobacco, only occasionally indulging in the mildest cigars. 

The private life and domestic relations of public men do not fairly belong to the public, 
but I may say that the family life of General Diaz is a happy one, and that his wife, Senora Dona 
Carmen Romero Rubio de Diaz, is the crown and solace of his home, where the Mexican presi- 
dent becomes the man of family and allows his social side full scope. He knows how to relax, 
as all ereat men do. The fun-lovino; side of his character, his sense of humor, his genuine 
kindliness of nature, have free vent in the social circle. 

In the afternoon, at half-past three, the president is again at the palace, where he receives 
the public railway managers, great lawyers, contractors of public works, and properly accredited 
representatives of the native and foreign press. He is a man of business, and every one whom 
he receives is treated with politeness. He is always dignified, and his manner is that of a 
soldier, softened by a sense of what is due to those who have business with him. 

As is necessary with successful great men, he has a remarkable memory. He knows by 
name every man of consequence, even in the remotest villages ; he knows the alcaldes, the 
judges of the minor courts, the planters, and every old soldier. His judgment of people is 
clear and precise. He knows how to be magnanimous to ancient foes : men who served Maxi- 
milian well he has all around him in close relations. As they served their imperial master 
faithfully, he reasons that they will serve him with equal loyalty. He likes a frank, opinionated, 
honest man. 

In short, if a man is doing anything to help on the progress of Mexico, he will find General 
Diaz cordial and ready to aid ; but if he is merely a selfish schemer, he will be found out and 
treated accordingly. No man or woman deceives him. He may indulgently play with a cun- 
ning, artful person, and that person may go away thinking he has got the best of him ; but let 
that individual wait a week or a month, and he will find out that the president has sifted his 
schemes, and has already taken measures to outwit him. He communicates with politicians, 
governors of states, military men, by wire, and often in cipher. His book of ciphers — some 
eight hundred — is in the hands of his trusted secretary, and by means of it the president is 
able to consult on the same topic with a great many people. Among his confidential friends 
are many private individuals, with whom he communicates in case of necessity by cipher. Thus 
the Mexican president knows all that is going on all over the broad domain which he governs 
so wisely and so forcefully. He likes bright, active, enterprising foreigners, and would be glad 
to have them naturalized, so that he could utilize them in public office. The whole bent of his 
work is to build up modern Mexico, which is already taking its place among the progressive, 
solvent, and busy nations of the world. 

He is the idol of the Mexican army, for the men who served under him are aware that he 
won his position and his fame by military genius and personal valor. General Diaz's object has 
been to develop Mexico's resources at home, to bring her into touch with foreign countries, 
to strengthen her not only materially, but in every other way that will give her a respectable 
standing before the nations. Histor)^ will place him among the nation-builders. 



I04 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XI 



THE MINISTERS OF THE CABINET 



/^^fc^HE government of Mexico is conducted very much after tlie plan of that of the 
£ I United States. The president is elected for a term of four years, and he appoints 

^ I , the ministers of his cabinet, which is composed of seven members. Following is 
^^■^ the list of these offices, with their present incumbents : 

Secretario de Relaciones (Foreign Af- 
fairs), Lie. Don Ignacio Mariscal. 

Secretario de Gobernacion (Interior), 
General Don Manuel Gonzalez Cosio. 

Secretario de Hacienda (Treasury), Lie. 
Don Jose Ives Limantour. 

Secretario de Guerra y Marino (War 
and Navy), General Don Felipe Berriozabal. 
Secretario de Justicia y Instruccion 
Publica (Public Instruction), Lie. Don Joa- 
quin Baranda. 

Secretario de Fomento (Encourage- 
ment), Inigo Don Manuel Fernandez Leal. 

Secretario de Comunicaciones y Obras 
Piiblicas (Public Works), General Don 
Francisco Z. Mena. 

When the president is re-elected to 
another term of office it is the custom of 
the Mexican cabinet to resign in a body, 
thus leaving the president free to form a 
new bureau, if he chooses, — a custom to be 
commended to older and larger republics. 
This custom is but another sign of the uni- 
versal courtesy and instinctive politeness ot 
the Mexicans, which would thus relieve the 
head of the nation from any embarrassing 
position that might arise. Thus far, however, the president has seen fit to request his ministers 
to remain in charge of their respective offices, and by this means a continuity of good govern- 
ment is insured, while the dangers of change and disruption are avoided. 

The minister of foreign affairs sends in his resignation through the sub-secretary of his 




Lie. Don Ignacio Mariscal, 

Secretary of Foreign Affairs. 



THE MINISTERS OF THE CABINET 



105 



department. All the other ministers tender theirs through the secretary of foreign affairs. 
The president replies to the resignation of the latter as follows : 

"Let the minister of foreign affairs be informed that his resignation is not to be accepted ; 
inasmuch as the president of the republic considers his re-election for another constitutional 
period as an implicit approval of his acts as chief executive, and as Seiior Mariscal is one of his 
associates, he looks to his patriotism that he will continue to co-operate in the labors of the 
public administration." And to all the other ministers he sends an answer couched in similar 
terms, requesting them to remain 



in office. 

This course of action on the 
president's part is but another 
proof of his wise statesmanship, 
as each of his ministers was 
carefully chosen in the first place 
with a view to his fitness for the 
work to be intrusted to his 
judgment and abilities ; and in 
no case has the choice proved a 
wrong one. 

Perhaps the best known of 
these ministers, from his connec- 
tion with other nations, is Senor 
Lie. Don lo-nacio Mariscal, a man 
as universally beloved as he is ad- 
mired and respected for his truly 
great qualities of heart and head. 

He was born in Oaxaca on 
the 5th of July, 1829. His parents, who belonged to an honorable family, endeavored to 
educate their son according to his aspirations. AMien quite a youth he showed that he had 
political talent. At twenty years of age, after sustaining brilliant examinations, he received his 
title as a lawyer, and at once took a high position. He affiliated himself with the Liberal part)-, 
for which he has-at-all times been ready to make every sacrifice. He became a member ot the 
Constitutional Congress — representing Oaxaca — and distinguished himself as one of the most 
active in g-ivine Mexico its Mag-na Charta. He was ever one of Juarez's most ardent friends. 
In 1 86 1 and 1862 he occupied a seat in Congress, after which he was magistrate of the Supreme 
Court, and later was appointed secretary of foreign relations. During the war of intervendon he 
went to Washington as secretary and legal counsel of the Mexican legation, together with Senor 
Juan Antonio de la Fuenta, minister plenipotentiary from Mexico. Then it was that Mariscal 
revealed great talent as an expert diplomat, aiding Senor Matias Romero in influencing the 
American government to take an active stand against Napoleon. 

When Mexico became conqueror, Mariscal was appointed charge d'affaires in Washington, 
where he won public appreciation and sympathy. Desiring to return to his native country, he 
resigned this high posidon, and was appointed president of the Supreme Court of Justice ot the 
federal district, was next elected to Congress, and afterward was chosen justice of the National 
Supreme Court. 

In 1866 he was a member of Juarez's cabinet as secretary of jusdce and public instrucdon. 




S.A.LON OF THE SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. 



io6 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



He is the author of "Reforms in Criminal Law," a work which reflects upon him great honor. 
His services were once more needed as minister plenipotentiary from Mexico to the United 
States of North America, which position he held for six years. 

Durino- Lerdo's administration he represented Mexico in the United States, and afterward 
returned to Mexico to private life ; but President Diaz, knowing how useful and talented a man 
he was, appointed him as judge of the Supreme Court of Justice of the district, and in December, 
1879, made him secretary of justice and public instruction. In 1880, under his direction and 
supervision, there was published the Code of Civil Proceeding, — the law and regulations gov- 
erning the new organization of tribunals and penal proceedings, — which was of great impor- 
tance to legislation. Afterward he was appointed secretary of foreign relations ; and when 

President Diaz finished his term, and General 
Manuel Gonzalez succeeded him, the latter 
kept Senor Mariscal in this position on account 
of his vast knowledge of international law. 

Durine President Gonzalez's administra- 
tion Seiior Mariscal filled several difficult and 
high positions, among others that of minister 
plenipotentiary to Great Britain. 

On General Diaz's return to the presi- 
dency he again called Senor Mariscal to his 
side and appointed him secretary of foreign 
affairs, which position he still holds. In this 
delicate position he has justified the confi- 
dence deservedly placed in him, and has amica- 
bly arranged differences which had arisen, and 
re-established friendly relations with France, 
England, and the other nations of Europe. 

As a diplomat Senor Mariscal has an 
enviable reputation, and as a lawyer he is one 
of the notabilities of the Mexican forum. His 
opinion on any question of public, private, or 
international rights has sfteat weig-ht. As a 
speaker he uses with great facility, elegance, 
and correctness of style the rich language of 
Cervantes. He speaks several languages, 
Engrlish amon^ others, and has translated into 
Spanish some of the choicest poems of Longfellow, Poe, Bryant, and other American writers. 

In his home he is an affectionate father and an excellent husband, and is a type of the 
perfect gentleman. His wife is an American lady of high standing. 

For his important services he has won high consideration from the governments of France, 
Portugal, Venezuela, and others, which are unanimous in greatly honoring him. 

Senor General Manuel G. Cosio is the secretary of the interior, one of the most important 
positions in the cabinet. 

Few men in Mexico are so enthusiastic for the development of the country as General 
Cosio, and few have the ability, push, and energy that he has developed in the many offices 
which he has occupied. 




General Don Manuel Gonzalez Cosio, 

Secretary of the Interior. 



THE MINISTERS OF THE CABINET 



107 



Senor Cosio was born in the state of Zacatecas, and, besides ha\'ino- occupied the position 
of governor of that state and that of congressman and senator, he displayed great ability as 
mayor of the city of Mexico. He is one of the most popular men of the cabinet. 

There is quite a romantic episode in the life of General Cosio. During the civil war of the 
United States he was in New York in company with two other )'oung officers, destitute, but 
anxious to return to Mexico to fight for his country against the French. None of the three had 
enough money to take him back, so they decided that one of them should be selected by lot and 
enlist in the army of the United States, obtain 
the eight hundred dollars in greenbacks which 
were given as bounty to each enlisting man at 
that time, and give the money to the other two 
to go back to Mexico and fight for their country. 

The lot fell to Cosio, who was on the point 
of presenting himself at head-quarters in New 
York and enlisting in the army so that his 
two companions could go back to Mexico with 
the money thus obtained, when General Mejia 
arrived in New York. He was visited by the 
three young officers and acquainted with their 
intention, and he gave them all passage-money 
and sent them back to Mexico as commis- 
sioned officers. Thus it was that instead of 
fighting for the American Union, as Cosio 
came very near doing, he battled for his own 
country until the French were banished from 
Mexico. The popularity of General Cosio is 
unquestioned. He is a man of large intelli- 
gence, long experience in civil affairs, and 
proved capacity. A man who has fought In 
revolutions, won distinction for gallantry in 
the war against the empire, suffered imprison- 
ment in France as an incident of that conflict, 
served twice as governor of Zacatecas, been 

a deputy and a senator in the Federal Congress, and for ten years held the most conspicuous 
place in the municipal council of the city of Mexico, is surely qualified to hold an important 
ministry in a great country. 

The charities of Mexico City are wonderfully abundant. These are both public and private. 
There are at least half a dozen institutions maintained by private enterprise and Christian 
. philanthropy. The public charities of Mexico are organized and conducted under the auspices 
of the federal department of the interior, of which General Manuel Gonzalez Cosio is chief. 
Many sick and dying, hungry and homeless, have had reason for gratitude to a government so 
considerate. Minister Cosio is especially interested in these charities, and often makes personal 
inspection of these institutions in his department. One of these is the Proveeduria de la Bene- 
ficencia Piiblica, or Storehouse of the Bureau of Public Charities. This immense storehouse 
supplies provisions for several public establishments, where the poor are provided for without 
money and without price. 




Senor Don Jose Ives Limantour, 

Secretary of the Treasury. 



io8 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



The system of the hospicios is exceedingly beneficent and worthy of a much more ex- 
tended description than can be given in these pages. Mexico takes good care of its sick 
and unfortunate ones, and some of her benevolent institutions are very old. The Hospital of 
San Andres, for instance, was founded in 1626 by private donations. It was converted into 
the Jesuit College and the Church of Santa Ana in 1642, but Captain Andres Tapia Carbajal 
reconstructed it in 1676 and called it San Andres. After the Jesuits were expatriated it was 
abandoned until 1779, when Archbishop Alonzo Nunez de Hara y Peralta turned it into a 
pest-house for smallpox. In 1861, under the Reform Laws, it was secularized, and now, under 

the Secretario de Gobernacion, it is a large and 
spacious institution, with fine wards for the 
sick and infirm, who are all well cared for by 
the protecting government. 

Away back in 1 575 the Augustinian fathers 
founded a college in the city of Mexico which 
flourished for some years but was finally aban- 
doned. Later on, a cuartel was built from its 
decayed ruins, which was fortified and occu- 
pied until 1847, when it was converted into 
a " Hospital Provisional." The founder of 
this project was Urbano Fonseca, who placed 
therein forty beds for men and twenty for 
women. The first to occupy these beds were 
the wounded from the battle of Padurna, 
August 23, 1847. Later this building w^as 
converted into a municipal hospital and named 
" Hospital Juarez," under w^hich title it has 
been the source of relief for many unfortu- 
nates. The same period of war was the occa- 
sion of founding another of Mexico's great 
charities. In 1850 a committee rented the 
Tecpan de Santiago, in order to provide a 
suitable retreat for the young prisoners who 
were then in the national prison. It was 
called at first a branch of the prison, but later 
it became necessary to place there many children who were not criminals. Senor Azcarate 
established there, for all these children, in 1853 some excellent schools and w^orkshops, and put 
them under the direction of Senor Licenciado Antonio Diaz de Bonillo. As first conducted, 
the school partook of a correctional nature, but some years ago it was renamed the Industrial 
Orphan School, and the character of it somewhat changed. This school was protected by the 
late Hon. Manuel Romero Rubio, but it is now in the direct charge of General Cosio. 

Other institutions under his efficient care are the Hospicio de Pobres, founded in 1 765 by 
Fernando Ortiz Cortez, who obtained a license to establish a local hospital for the poor of the 
city, — the place was recognized and formally opened in 1774, — and the Casa de Maternidad, 
founded by Carlotta in June, 1865, wath an annex for hospital purposes. 

The departamento de hacienda, which is the treasury of Mexico, is without doubt the most 
important of public departments. This is at present under the able, well-organized manage- 




General Don Francisco Z. Mena, 

Secretary of Communications and Public Works. 



THE MINISTERS OF THE CABINET 



109 



ment of Senor Lie. Don Jose Ives Limantour, one of the most notable financiers of Mexico, 
whose superior intellectual faculties have placed him in this office, where he has shown remark- 
able executive ability. 

In "La Aduana," a building situated in the Antigua Plazuela de Sandago Tlaltelolco, 
are located all the offices, store-rooms, deposits, etc., that come under the direction of the 
minister of the treasury. It also serves as a wareroom for the railroads that belong to the 
republic. 

The Casa de Moneda (Mint) was established in 1526, and then occupied a department of 
the Municipal Palace. In 1640 the mint was built on Calle de Moneda, which was afterward 
taken for the National Museum (which up to 
date has cost more than a million dollars). 
On account of unpaid contracts, the depart- 
ment came under the charo-e of the eovern- 
ment afterward, and later became entirely gov- 
ernment property. It now occupies a large 
and handsome building on Calle del Apartado. 
The bureau of engraving is situated in the 
National Palace, and the Loteria Nacional is 
in the first Calle del Reloj. The latter is a 
spacious building, with fine offices and a grand 
saloon, where the drawings take place. The 
Loteria is under charge of the secretario de 
hacienda. 

Senor Don Jose Ives Limantour was born 
of French parents in the city of Mexico in 
1853. His parents being wealthy, he had the 
opportunity of the best schools in the city. 
In 1866 his parents took him to France to 
complete his education. Some two years later 
he returned to Mexico to study law in the 
School of Jurisprudence. The term for gradu- 
ation, as fixed by the faculty of this school, is 
six years, but Mr. Limantour, being an un- 
usually bright and studious scholar, completed 
his graduation in four years, becoming distin- 
guished for his intelligence and his energy. Mr. Limantour is especially versed in political 
economy, and during his college course excited considerable comment from the politicians of 
the day by his views on political economy. After his graduation he was appointed by the 
faculty professor of that branch in the School of Jurisprudence. Later he was sent by the 
government to Europe to setde several difficult financial questions. Owing to his extreme 
modesty, Mr. Limantour kept out of public life until the year 1893, when Mr. Matias 
Romero tendered him the office of sub-secretary of the treasury, which he accepted. Although 
he was an entirely new man in the department, he soon won the confidence of Secretary 
Romero ; and in the same year, when Mr. Romero was appointed minister to Washington, 
Mr. Limantour was appointed secretary of the treasury, which place he fills to-day with ability 
and honor, returning his salary each month to the treasury of the republic. He has a sufficient 




General Don Felipe Berriozabal, 

Secretary of War and the Navy. 



no 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



income from his individual property to satisfy his every want. Although the depression of 
silver during the administration of Mr. Limantour has been very great, yet through his ability 
as a financier he has paid every obligation of the government that is due and has sustained the 
credit of the country, even though the bankers of Europe have attempted to depress the values 
of Mexican securities ; and now the balance on the ledger is on the credit side, where it had 
always been on the debit side until his administration. 

The Department of Communications and Public Works is under the wise and statesmanlike 
management of General Don Francisco Z. Mena; and under his charge are the railroads, the post- 
office, and the telegraph systems of the repub- 
lic. No more acceptable man for the onerous 
duties of his position could possibly be chosen. 
General Mena has lived many years in Euro- 
pean capitals, and was acting in the capacity 
of minister to Germany when he was called to 
the president's cabinet. During his life abroad 
he had exceptional opportunities to study social 
conditions as well as financial questions, and 
the results of his knowledge of modern 
methods of transjDortation and intercommuni- 
cation are plainly visible in the administration 
of the affairs of his present office. At one 
time he was governor of Guanajuato, and 
under his administration that state made rapid 
advancement in all modern progress and was 
greatly benefited. As a soldier, too, General 
Mena has a fine record, beeinninCT as sub-lieu- 
tenant of the Batallon de Zapadores and rapidly 
ascending the rigorous military scale until he 
was finally made general. 

The offices of General Mena and his 
assistants are located in the old custom-house, 
a building which was founded in 1731, and 
still stands, mighty and commanding, in elegant 
and substantial style. The Administracion de 
Correos occupies the building intended formerly for one of the mints. Here are all the offices 
of postal authorities and the general post-office. The latter is finely conducted under a very 
rigid administration, and the income from it grows larger every year. General Mena has insti- 
tuted many substantial reforms which react strongly for the benefit of the whole republic. The 
same is true of the telegraph systems and all the public works. 

General Pedro Hiqojosa was for years the secretary of war and of the navy. He is an 
old soldier who has been in the service of his country for the past fifty years. Born in Mata- 
moras during the troublesome period of the almost unbroken series of wars which Mexico 
had to sustain, General Hinojosa early enlisted, and by his strict attention to duty, by his 
bravery in the thick of batde, and by his thorough knowledge of the tactics and science of 
war, reached the highest grade in the army, that of general of division, and was finally 
appointed by General Diaz to his present position. In future years General Hinojosa will be 




Lieutenant-Colonel Don Manuel Mondragon, 

Inventor of the famous Gun, which he presented to the Mexican 
Government. 



THE MINISTERS OF THE CABINET 



III 



honorably remembered as the secretary under whose administration the beginning of the new 
Mexican navy was started and who introduced many desirable reforms in the army. 

In 1884 President Diaz appointed him secretary of war and the navy, a position which he 
held in the cabinet until March, 1896, when he resigned. He is now the president of the 
military court, and one of the most popular and beloved military men of the country ; and, 
having lived for many years on the United States frontier, he has among " Uncle Sam's" sol- 
diers many warm friends, who will cherish his memory throughout life. 

General Hinojosa resigned on account of his advancing years and consequent infirmities, 
and President Diaz appointed in his place General Don Felipe Berriozabal. 

The present minister of war was born in Zacatecas on the 23d of August, 1827. He was 
still continuing his studies when the invasion 
of the republic by the armies of the United 
States filled him with patriotic ardor and with 
the desire of fighting in behalf of his country. 
Consequently he entered the army as lieu- 
tenant of a company of engineers, and served 
throughout the campaign in the valley of 
Mexico. On the occupation of the capital 
by the American forces, Berriozabal went to 
Toluca to aid the acting president, Don 
Manuel Pena y Pena. When the latter went 
to Oueretaro he left the young engineer in 
charge of a very delicate matter. 

When the war was over, he retired to the 
capital, where he completed his studies and 
graduated as an engineer, April 26, 1849. He 
at once began exercising his profession, and 
for the next few years he held many important 
offices. Among others, he was appointed by 
the government to examine, amplify, and com- 
plete the plans of the lands of the states of 
Mexico and Tlaxcala, and to estimate the value 
of their rural and city properties. 

In the city of Toluca he became succes- 
sively a member of the ayuntamiento, jefe 
politico of the most important district of the 

state, diputado, adviser to the governor, and finally governor of the state. Later he was 
elected to the federal parliament. He has successively been governor of the states of 
Guanajuato, Oueretaro, \'era Cruz, and Michoacan. In 1876 he became minister of the 
interior. 

By a decree of October 2r, 1872, the government of the state of Mexico, in recognition 
of his many services, honored him by placing him upon the list of the illustrious men of the 
country. Many scientific societies have also recognized his w^orth by electing him an honorary 
member. 

It is interesting to follow his career as a soldier. In his twentieth )-ear, he commenced 
his services on the 2d of July, 1847. I" i^S^ he was raised to the rank of lieutenant-colonel 




Lie. Don Joaquin Baranda, 

Secretary of Public Instruction. 



I 12 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 




National Preparatory School. 



on account of his gallant con- 
duct in the Plaza de Toluca. 
In 1858 he became colonel of 
Tacubaya. As a result of his 
bravery in the attack upon Mex- 
ico in 1859 he was made colonel 
of horse. The following year he 
was appointed general of brigade. 
He distineuished himself in the 

o 

battle of the 5th of May and in 
the defence of the city of Puebla 
in 1863, and as a reward was 
given the high post of general 
of division. Since then he has 
filled a long list of important 
posts and commissions. The list 
of battles and engagements in 
which General Berriozabal took 
part would fill more than a page. 
He has the rio-ht to wear on his 

breast thirteen medals of honor given only for special and distinguished services. 

In addition to this, General Porfirio Diaz has presented him with a certificate of honor, 

which alone would be recognition enough to satisfy the pride of the most ambitious soldier. 

Under his charge are the excellent military schools of the country. El Colegio Militar was 

established in 182 1, but experienced a series of changes and contre-tcmps until it was finally 

removed to the castle of Chapultepec, where it is now in a flourishing condition. During the 

North American war many brave young cadets lost their lives in defending this noble old castle 

against the invaders, September 

13, 1847. The college is now a 

fine military institution, under 

charge of experienced generals 

in military tactics and learned 

professors in all branches. It is 

remarkably well organized, with 

fine observatories, and scientific 

cabinets full of instruments and 

apparatus of all descriptions. 

The course of instruction, as may 

be judged, is very complete. 

The Fabrica de Armas was 

established in 1873, ^"d is con- 
stantly being improved and en- 
larged. It is in charge of 

Lieutenant-Colonel de la Plaza 

Mayor Facultativa de Artilleria 

Don Manuel Mondragon, the " academy of san Carlos, 




THE MINISTERS OF THE CABINET 



113 



inventor of the famous gun which bears his name and which is used entirely b)- the Mexican 
army. In this factory, where all classes of arms are made, most of the work is done by young 
girls. The National Powder Factory is situated in Las Lomas de Santa Fe, and is also under 
the supervision oi Lieutenant-Colonel Alondragon, who has for some time devoted his efforts to 
perfecting smokeless powder. 

The Fundicion de Artilleria is an immense building, in which are manufactured all the 
necessaries for artillery purposes, serving also as a warehouse for the costly machinery im- 
ported from Europe. The Cuartels de Ingenieros, de Artilleria, and de Infanteria are all well 
appointed and in remarkably good condition. 

The most ancient fort of Mexico was probably that of Chapultepec. It occupied the most 
beautiful spot of the valley of Mexico, and with its many historical reminiscences still towers 
there, a grand old castle. When 
the Aztecs reached Mexico and 
saw this valley, they chose this 
as the site of a fortification that 
should effectually protect them 
from their innumerable enemies. 
Until Cortez occupied it, it served 
their purpose. During the reign 
of the Marquis de Galves it was 
turned into a palace for the vice- 
roys, and for three centuries of 
varying fortunes for Mexico it 
served in that capacity. During 
the occupancy of Maximilian the 
old castle experienced a marxel- 
lous transformation. It was then 
that the palace was gorgeously 
fitted with rich Gobelin tapes- 
tries, inlaid floors, magnificent 

furniture, and priceless bronzes, while the gardens and observatory were turned into dreams of 
beauty and splendor of vegetation and brilliant coloring. 

Senor Don Joaquin Baranda is the secretary of justice and education. He was born at 
Campeche on May 7, 1840. He comes of a distinguished family, his father having been one 
of the most prominent men in the state of Yucatan. Senor Baranda received a complete and 
brilliant education, and adopted the law as his profession. He was admitted to the bar when 
scarcely twenty years old. At the beginning of his political career he joined the Liberal party, 
and, having a strong inclination for neAvspaper work, he commenced spreading his Liberal prin- 
ciples through the press. 

The first important office which Senor Baranda occupied in his native state was that of 
civil and criminal judge. He served in this office up to the time of the war vnth France, when 
he resigned to fight for the liberties of his country. He did more than any other, through the 
press, to arouse public spirit against the invading soldiers of Napoleon III. When the republic 
was re-established, Senor Baranda was appointed judge for the district of Campeche, but soon 
after was elected representative to the Fourth and Fifth National Congresses. 

In 1880 President Diaz appointed Senor Baranda judge of tribunal for the circuit which 

8 




Patio of the Conservatory of Music. 



114 



PICrURESOUE MEXICO 



comprises the states of Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas, which office he occupied 
until he was elected senator in 1881. In September of the following year he was called to the 

cabinet of President Gonzalez and was given 
the portfolio of justice. From the first he 
displayed great talent and eminent qualifica- 
tions for the office, so that General Diaz, on 
assuming the presidency for a second time, 
kept Senor Baranda In the same high office 
that he had occupied under President Gon- 
zalez. 

It Is hardly necessary to enumerate the 
many reforms which Senor Baranda has in- 
troduced in the department of justice, but 
it may be noted that he was the author 
and the champion of the free will law, which 
during his Incumbency was passed by the 
Me.xican Congress. He has co-operated In 
the establishment everywhere of graded 
schools for the education of the people, and 
convened a pedagogic congress, with the 
object of Introducing a uniform system of 
teaching, which has revolutionized the old 
methods. For his labors in behalf of the 
education of the people, and for his achieve- 
ments in that course, Senor Baranda has 
been decorated by several foreign govern- 
ments, among them those of France and 
Venezuela. He is yet in the full enjoyment 
of manhood, and, great and valuable as are the services he has rendered his country in the 
past, even greater things are expected from him in the near future. 

It Is needless to say that Senor Baranda has the utmost confidence of his chief and that 
he enjoys very great popularity, especially arnong the younger generation of Mexico, for whom 
he has provided hundreds upon hundreds of public schools, in which every branch of learning- 
is taught free of charge, even books and other necessities being supplied through the gen-erosity 
of the Mexican government. A man of high attainments intellectually, he Is considered one 
of the finest orators of the nation. His enthusiastic spirit has been of great benefit to the 
department of public works. Under his fostering care, while the cause of public education is 
in a most flourishing condition, the higher schools and colleges have come to be unsurpassed 
in any country. Among the more prominent of the latter is La Escuela de Medicina (the school 
of medicine), which was founded In 1768, although not until 1833 was it actually under scientific 
direction. Now, however. It Is thoroughly equipped with necessary apparatus, and all the scien- 
tific accessories needful to bring It up to the standard of modern requirements and place it on 
a level with similar institutions In other countries. 

The church of San Augustin was converted by Maximilian into the Biblioteca de San 
Augustin, or public library, with a large collection of valuable books of all kinds. Among the 
schools one of the most interesting is the normal school, or La Escuela Normal para Profesores. 




Don Inigo Manuel Fernandez Leal, 

Secretary of ENCorRACEMENx, 



THE MINISTERS OF THE CABINET 



115 



This recently established institution occupies the ancient convent of Santa Teresa, which was 
constructed by Esteban Molina de Mosquera in 1678. It is a modern school, fitted up with 
every equipment that can in any way serve to instruct and assist the teacher who comes here 
to perfect herself in her profession. The Escuela Nacional Preparatoria is an ancient but well- 
preserved building, which cost when it was built four hundred thousand dollars. It is admirably 
fitted as a large college, with spacious rooms for every department, superior apparatus, and a 
fine library. 

Other important institutions in Senor Baranda's department are La Escuela de Juris- 
prudencia, which occupies the ex-convent of the Encarnacion and was founded in 1868 ; La 
Escuela de Agricultura, founded under the careful oversight of the government in 1854; and 
La Escuela Nacional de Ingenieros, which occupies one of the finest buildings in Mexico. 

The fine arts are not neglected in Mexico. There are well-equipped art-schools for both 
boys and girls, with superior teachers, foreign and native. The ancient Academy of San Carlos 
was founded in 1S47, 3-"^ its galleries contain 
a fine collection of ancient paintings, costing 
hundreds of thousands of dollars. Foreio-n 
masters are brought here to teach las bellas 
artes. The Conservatorio de Musica Nacional 
w^as founded in 1867, and occupies a building 
that served as a university in the reign of 
Charles III. and for many years afterward. It 
is conducted on a liberal scale as a conserva- 
tory of both' music and oratory. 

The Museo Nacional is under the direct 
care of Secretary Baranda, and is more par- 
ticularly described in a chapter on Mexico 
City. It has cost more than a million dollars, 
and it is here that the scientific congresses are 
held. Its magnificent departments of archae- 
ology, natural history, etc., have long been the 
admiration of travellers as well as of the people 
of Mexico. 

Under the administration of the depart- 
ment of Fomento come the branches of bound- 
aries, colonization, agriculture, mines, industrial 
pursuits, statistics, observatories, institutes, and 
scientific commissions. 

The government has established, by 
means of colonization companies, some two- 
score colonies in different parts of the country, the majority of which are in a very flourishing 
condition. The colonists are given certain concessions, covering definite amounts of land to be 
cultivated under certain easy conditions. 

Under these laws new facilities are constantly offered for the opening of rural estates and 
the enlarging and strengthening of old ones. 

This department, too, has charge of boundary-lines and geographical explorations, the 
apportioning of lands to the Indians, and the general standard of weights and measures. One 




General Pedro Hinojosa, 

President of Military Court. 



ii6 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



of the most important achievements of the present secretary, Inigo Don Manuel Fernandez 
Leal, was the re-marking of the boundaries between the republic of Mexico and the United 
States, which was effected in December, 1896. Almost as important, too, was the work of the 
boundary commission which defined the lines of separation from Guatemala. 

Senor Inigo Manuel Fernandez Leal came to his work with a long training which fits him 
admirably for the responsibilities of his position. He is a native of Jalapa, in Vera Cruz, and 
was born in 1831. While he was still very young his people moved to Puebla for a few years, 

afterward going to Mexico. In the capital he 
developed a marked aptitude for engineering 
pursuits, and took a course at the National 
College for Engineers. When he was only 
twenty-three he was appointed commissioner 
to settle the boundaries between the United 
States and Mexico, and for two years he 
was on the border eng-agfed in that work. In 
1856, having negotiated the treaty of La 
Mesilla, he went back to Mexico City, and 
was soon after placed at the head of the 
topographical department of the valley of 
Mexico as governor-in-chief Two years 
were passed in this position, and then came 
the revolution, which sent Juarez to Vera 
Cruz and obliged Leal to stop work. When 
Juarez returned, in 1 861, he was placed at the 
head of one of the sub-departments of public 
works. This did not last long, however, and, 
during Maximilian's occupancy, he accompa- 
nied Juarez throughout his wanderings until 
the latter's return to Mexico. Then came 
his appointment by Juarez to the post of first 
assistant secretary of public works. Since 
that time he has been almost constantly con- 
nected with the department, except during those years when he was heading special commis- 
sions for the public benefit. He was a commissioner to confer with the United States in regard 
to the proposed ship railway across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. He was sent to Japan in 
1874 with the famous Mexican astronomer Senor Don Francisco Diaz Vovarenvias, to make 
certain astronomical observations, and went round the world before returning to Mexico. Since 
1878 he has been minister of public works, a post for which he seems to have had special 
training, and in which he has distinouished himself over and over agfain. All the colonization 
improvements, geographical explorations, irrigation schemes, and similar experiments have 
been made under him for the last twenty years. 

Owing to his thorough training, long service, and true patriotism, he is regarded by the 
people of Mexico as exactly the man for his place ; and he furnishes one more example of 
the wisdom of President Diaz in choosine the men to conduct such affairs as he intrusts to his 
cabinet. 

Senor Manuel Romero Rubio, the father of Senora Diaz, was for many years the distin- 




Senor Don Manuel Romero Rubio. 



THE MINISTERS OF THE CABINET 



117 



guished secretary of the department of the interior, one of the most important positions in the 
Mexican cabinet. This eminent statesman and poUtician was one of the best lawyers in Mexico. 
His career from the day tliat he was admitted to the bar until his death, October, 1895, was a 
series of triumphs, and his eloquence as one of the greatest orators in Mexico gave him great 
fame. Whether in the exercise of his profession, in the halls of Congress, or in political dis- 
cussions, Romero Rubio was always at the front. He was one of the framers of the Mexican 
constitution of to-day, and the author of many important bills which have helped to build up 
the country and to develop its manifold resources. 

Although not now a member of the cabinet, Senor Don Matias de Romero, like General 
HInojosa, has been so closely connected with it in times past that it seems especially fitting to 
speak of him here. 

Sehor Matias Romero, minister of Mexico at Washington, was born at Oaxaca, the birth- 
place of so many of the noted men of Mexico. He entered the School of Arts and Sciences 
in his native town when quite young ; there he studied philosophy and law, displaying rare 
talent in all his studies. He has held many honorable positions in his own country. In 1892 he 
was in the cabinet of General Diaz as secretary of the treasury. At Washington he is uni- 
versally respected and admired by the citizens and by the members of the diplomatic corps. 
Mr. Romero is a prolific writer. His articles in the "North American Review" have called 
frequent attention to Mexico. As a distinguished statesman he is much respected among the 
foremost men of the United States. He is beloved by the people of his native land, and 
considered one of the mighty pillars on which is solidly built the great Mexican republic. 




ii8 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XII 



THE LADIES OF THE CABINET 



/^^-> ENORA DONA CARMEN ROMERO RUBIO DE DIAZ, besides being one of 

^ A A the most beautiful women in Mexico, is the best loved. Added to her natural 

^ endowment of beauty, she has a thorough knowledge of various languages. She 

^^^^ is twenty-nine years old, and the president is about forty years her senior. She 

became la Prcsidcnta at the age of eighteen, their love and courtship alike being 

as romantic as her daily life at the castle of Chapultepec. 

She has filled this position with the grace and elegance of a queen, her salons being quite 

famous. She dresses with exquisite taste. Her 
eowns are made in Mexico, for she feels that 
as the wife of the president she should have 
her toilettes made by native workers. She has 
been seen at balls of magnificent splendor 
beautiful and radiant in a dainty white gown 
of silk garnished in point applique ; a cord of 
pearls hung from her waist, and in her lovely 
black hair a solitary red rose nestled, as if 
proud to be worn by the first lady of the land. 
While the Mexican women are all inclined to 
displays of colors and jewels, " Carmelita," as 
every one loves to call her, sets a worthy 
example of good taste and refinement. She 
is not fond of society, and only a few friends 
are admitted into the intimacy of the home 
circle. 

On fiesta days Senora Diaz is found 
standing- in the shadow of the massive doors 
of the cathedral, tossing pennies to the poor, 
who gather there to receive her gifts. In an 
hour thousands of ccntavitos are given from 
her hands to the grateful wretches, who deem 
it an honor and privilege to kiss the hem of her 
gown as she stands there, all simplicity, dis- 
tributing her favors, occasionally recognizing 
a friend, and bowing and smiling to those who tip their hats in recognition of the president's 
wife. In fact, Senora Diaz is probably the most popular woman in Mexico, occupying a very 




Senora Dona Carmen Romero Rubio de Diaz, 

The Wife of the President of Mexico. 



THE LADIES OF THE CABINET 



1 1< 



warm place in the hearts of the Mexican 
people. She goes about from street to street 
and from house to house in the poorest sub- 
urbs and districts of the city of Mexico every 
day, distributing alms and alleviating- the suf- 
ferings of the poor. For her many charitable 
acts and her social qualifications, her virtues 
and amiability, it is safe to say that one of 
the sources of the popularity of General Diaz 
comes from his wife. 

The president has a charming family. 
The eldest daughter married, a few years 
Senor Don lenacio de la Torre, who 



ago 



belonp-s to one of the old and distinQuished 



families of Mexico. She is as beautiful as 
she is crracious, and is a great favorite in 
society at the Mexican capital on account of 
her many endearing personal qualities, as well 
as her accomplishments and position. Cap- 
tain Porfirio Diaz, the only son, gives great 
promise of a distinguished military career. 





Senorita Luz Diaz, 
Daughtek of the Pkesident. 



Senora Ignacio de i.a Torre, 
Daughter of the President. 

He is at present studying in Europe. One 
young daughter, Senorita Luz, is a lovely and 
gentle girl, whom every one loves. She may 
be seen almost every morning on the Paseo, 
where she goes for a constitutional on horse- 
back, with her distinguished father as her 
escort. 

There are a number of beautiful American 
women who have married prominent Mexi- 
cans and have settled down into good senoras. 
This land of romance and enchantment has 
waved a beckoning hand to these beautiful 
and distinguished American women, and they 
have obeyed her summons. The life of the 
ladies of the public service in any land calls 
for rare intellioence, unerrinor tact, and ex- 
quisite affability, and these qualities are of 
special value in the Spanish-American coun- 
tries, where the blood runs hotly, revolutions 
are of quick growth, and sudden changes of 
leaders not infrequent. To all these require- 



I20 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 




ments the American women who have graced 
the court circles of Mexico have responded 
with a record that has proclaimed them born 
diplomats and queens of society. 

Senora Ignacio Mariscal is a rarely en- 
chanting woman. Every feature is perfect, and 
her countenance is lighted by eyes of softest 
splendor. She was Miss Laura Smith, of 
Maryland, U.S.A. Her family at one time re- 
sided in Washington, and she was one of the 
most noted belles of the city. It was while 
Senor Mariscal was secretary of the Mexican 
legation that his life's happiness in this beauti- 
ful form came to him. Their marriage was a 
notable social event. Senor Don Ignacio Maris- 
cal has occupied many posts of honor, and in 
every position Senora Mariscal has shown 
charming adaptability and unusual force. 

Mrs. Limantour and Mrs. Moran, both of 
whom are members of la alta sociedad in the 
city of Mexico, are daughters of Senora Maris- 



Captain Porfirio Diaz. 

cal, who is a grandmother, but still fresh and 
beautiful. Her official position gives her the 
seat of honor at the right hand of the wife of 
the president. 

Senora Manuel Cosio is the distinguished 
wife of the Secretario de Gobernacion. She 
devotes her time to charities, and her name is 
connected most prominently with many of the 
worthy charitable institutions of Mexico. She 
is a beautiful woman, and an ornament to any 
society. 

Senora Jose Ives Limantour is the youngest 
lady in the cabinet, and is a typical Mexican, 
with large and beautiful dark eyes. Her home 
in Avenue Juarez is one of the most beautiful 
in Mexico. She loves society, and entertains 
a great deal during the season. 

Senora Joaquin Baranda has a sweet and 
sympathetic personality, and is very gracious in 
manner. She is an accomplished linguist, speak- 
ing English perfectly, as well as several other lan- 
guages. She lives with her children in Campeche. 




Senora Mariscal. 



THE LADIES OF THE CABINET 



121 



Most Mexican ladies speak more than one language. In addition to their native Spanish, 
Mexican senoritas are taught English and French. One charming trait about them, too, is 





Senora Ltmantour. 



SeSora Cosio. 



their extreme kindliness of manner. One never hears rough words or unkind sentiments 
among them, nor even in the Mexican family circle. As a consequence, the people are 
universally polite, and the women especially have exquisite manners. 



122 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XIII 



©' 



THE JOCKEY CLUB 

NE of the most prominent buildings in the city of Mexico is the handsome club 
house of the Mexican jockey Club. It is unique, and there is an air of old Spain 
all through it, with Moorish architecture and Venetian oddities. It was formerly 
the palace of the Count del Valle, and the main floor of the curious little chapel 
which served for family orisons is now used for games of tresillo. One feature 
about this building that impresses itself alike upon the tourist and upon the older inhabitants 

is its massiveness of outline. 

The fagade of the Jockey Club building is 
entirely encrusted with porcelain tiles of blue 
and white, which have been so firmly fastened 
into the walls that even the fingers of old Time 
have failed to dislodge them. The entrance is 
massive and elegant, and the varnished cedar 
doors with copper ornaments, with interior 
sweep of open courts, are suggestive of some 
palace old and deserted. Superb cylindrical 
columns sustain the first floor. The first im- 
pression on entering is that one has wandered 
into a deserted Andalusian palace. 

To the left is the Jockey Club library, 
and at its door-way stand two bronze warriors, 
whose lances are tipped with light. Gilded 
lamps with snowy crystal globes, afire with the 
witchery of electricity, turn their light upon the 
tables and book-shelves, devoted to the litera- 
ture of the club. This includes every legitimate 
sporting paper of note published in the world, 
also novels and books devoted to horse-racing, 
horse culture, and like topics. There are 
tables, willow chairs, and an exquisite cabinet 
of rosewood, carved in relief 

There is in the open court-way a relic of 
the old days of Count del Valle and millionaire Martinez de la Torre ; it is a fountain, curious 
and delicate, a chef-d'ceuvre of sculpture from the magic chisel of the sixteenth century, and 
looks like a bit of the Alhambra in Mexico. 




General Pedro Rincon Gallardo, 
President of the Jockey Club. 



THE JOCKEY CLUB 



123 



In the two patios are rare flowers, horten- 
sias, camellias, azaleas, gardenias, and roses, 
with palms and precious plants. 

The grand stairway and its surroundings 
are practically unchanged from the olden times. 
A large lamp with alabaster globes is at the 
turn of the landing ; it was under its shadow 
that the Count del Valle met his death at the 
hands of an assassin. Venetian mirrors hang 
high up on the vestibule w^alls, and octagonal 
windows with curiously designed panes of stained 
glass are set deep into the granite walls. The 
ceiling over the stairway is of cedar and porce- 
lain tiles in alternate rows. 

On the main floor the corridor is tiled in 
white and blue, and around it sweeps a splendid 
railing made of the old-time "tumbago," a 
bronze composite brought from China in Spanish 
galleons. This composite was considered worth 
its weight in silver, and is of the same material 
as the railings in the cathedral. The balconies 
of the Jockey Club facing San Francisco Street 





Corridor of the Jockey Club. 



Patio of the Jockey Club. 

and Callejon Condesa are of this material. 
On this corridor and on the landing of the 
grand staircase, surrounded by porcelain 
lights, is the coat of arms of the Count del 
Valle, with his motto, 

" Fiierza agena ni le toca ni le prende 
Solo su virtud le ofende." 

The surroundings of the grrand staircase 
are unique, and the finest in Mexico. The 
porcelain tiles cost at the time of their use 
more than sih'er, for the reason that silver 
was superabundant. Among these unique 
relics are the quaintly carved cedar door-way 
and the sculptured arch of the old oratorio 
or chapel of the Count del Valle, which is on 
the main floor adjoining the reception-room ; 
this chapel once held the sacred relics and 
paintings of the noble family and served as 
a place of retreat and prayer. 

The Jockey Club was started in the year 
1 88 1. General Pedro Rincon Gallardo and 



124 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Francisco Somera were the initiators. The club was estabhshed under the auspices of the 
municipal council of the city of Mexico on the Sth of June, 1881. At that meeting Francisco 
Somera was elected president of the club. Later, the Honorable Manuel Romero Rubio, 
secretary of the interior, was elected president of the club, and remained in that capacity until 
his death in October, 1895, when he was succeeded by General Pedro Rincon Gallardo, then 
governor of the federal district.'^' 

There are two seasons for the races, spring and fall respectively, beginning generally on 
Easter Sunday and on the first Sunday in October. The club pays stakes and purses each 




Sala in the Jockey Club. 

year. The city council also has a standing prize (premio de ayuntamiento), and the Depart- 
ment of Encouragement of the federal government puts up two annual prizes. Horses can 
be entered from the stud-books of England and the United States, the Bruce stud-book beine 
a much-consulted authority of the club. 

On these occasions all the wealth and beauty of Mexico are out in full force. All the 
"four hundred," in their best finery (and nowhere in the world can be found more beautifully 
dressed women), are there; in short, the Jockey Club races form the grand gala-days of the 
year. 



* To the secretary, Senor Manuel Nicholin y Echanova, I am indebted for many handsome photographs and 
interesting data. 



LA VI G A AND THE SUBURBS 125 



CHAPTER XTV 

LA VIGA AND THE SUBURBS 

^^yj A VIGA and the floating gardens or markets form another diverting and intensely 

^^^ interesting phase of Hfe in this unique and poetic land. They are easily reached 

PP J by car from the Plaza. The canal makes a circle of over eight miles, and presents 

'^^^BP a scene of unequalled activity and unusual features. One need not look for 

gardens, as the name suggests, but rather for an aquatic market-place. The 

gardens are made up of countless boats in motion, filled with every imaginable growth of farm, 

orchard, and vineyard, with garden flowers, fruits, chickens, birds, and all other living and 

growing things that can be sold. As soon as you lea\e the car the crowd surges around )'ou, 

imploring you to hire their boats. 

At first they are high in their ideas of the return desired, but they are apt to reduce their 
prices to less than one-third if the new-comer exhibits the proper amount of patience and 
reserve. These boats are low, long, and flat on the bottom, with an awning- o\-erhead, and 
gayly decked with flags and streamers. The boatmen use only one long oar, with which they 
pole or scull the craft along. In no other way can one gain so accurate an idea of the varied 
population of Mexico ; in no other way can so many charming eftects in costume and personal 
ornamentation be studied ; and certainly nowhere else can such a marvellous array of products 
of this most marvellous of all countries be seen 

One might almost go blindfold through Mexico, uncovering his eyes for two or three hours 
only at La Viga, and be able to give a fair account of the almost incredible resources that are 
the heritage of this nation. 

Santa Anita is a peculiar little spot, Me.xican in every detail, and a favorite pleasure-resort 
for the people of Mexico City. Hither come in shoals the lower and middle classes on Sundays 
and feast-days. It is a town of reed-thatched houses, and everywhere there is a tempting odor 
of Mexican culinary dainties. Excellent specimens of Mexican dishes may be had here, which 
are wonderfully toothsome even if they are served in rude fashion. 

Pulque may be had in various wonderful and insidious styles In which the original fla\-or is 
merged in something far more agreeable. There are swings and lively games with typical 
Mexican music, and flower-stands where the merry people buy garlands of bright-hued poppies. 
Surrounding the town are the chinampas, the so-called floating gardens. Perhaps they did float 
once, but they are now simply gardens separated by narrow canals. Here are grown vegetables 
for the city market and flowers for the Sundays and saints' days at home. 

The church of Santa Anita is a quaint old building, with a fine tower, and a little plaza in 
front, where all the world and its wife take pleasure at holiday times. 

At Ixtacalco are more chinampas, with less gayety, a little market, and a very handsome 
church. A fine old stone bridge crosses the canal at this point, with a ruinous old chapel at 



126 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



the water's edge, where in the old days the passing boatman muttered an ave and deposited an 
offerino- to the patron saint, in the hope that good luck would follow him on his voyage and 
that his veo-etables would sell for a few more tlacos than usual. In front of the church, which 
is dedicated to San Matias and which has a Franciscan foundation more than three hundred 
years old, is the customary little plaza with a fountain of running water. 

Beyond Ixtacalco the surrounding scenery changes and the country is less populous, 
although possessing a peculiarly pastoral charm. 

Mexicalcingo is about seven miles from the city. Although it now has only about three 
hundred inhabitants, it was a place of importance before the conquest. A small monastery 
founded by the Franciscans at a very early period is in a ruinous condirion, but the church of 
San Marco is in tolerably good repair. The road to Ixtapalapan crosses the canal at this point, 
and a very picturesque view is the high old bridge, with bright green maize-fields on one side 

and the grim old ecclesiastical buildings 
on the other, embowered in masses of 
dark foliage from great trees growing to 
the water's edge. This is a good place 
to tie up and have breakfast (provision 
for which must be carried along) in a 
leisurely fashion, preparatory to starting 
on the return trip. 

Culhuacan is the last hamlet on 
the Viga. It is a picturesque old town, 
lying partly on a hill-side, with a fine 
church and monastery in ruins. Here 
the Viga begins to broaden into the 
lake. 

San Angel, Coyohuacan, San Au- 
gustin, and Miscauque are extremely 
pretty villages in the vicinity of the lake. 
San Angel is surrounded by fields of 
maguey, its scattered houses, its market- 
place, and its monastery and church of 
El Carmen making up a characteristic 
and pretty Mexican village ; its narrow lanes and high-walled gardens, its Indian huts and pro- 
fusion of pink roses, its clusters of trees, its little bridge and avenue, forming a picturesque 
whole. Here are the Indian with his blanket, the ranchero with rebozo and broad-brimmed 
hat, the old leporo in rags basking on the sunny seat by a door-way, the portly padre sauntering 
up the lane, with all the little boys smiling and taking off their hats to him, and all brightened 
and made light and gay by the purest atmosphere and bluest sky and softest breeze that ever 
blew or shone or sparkled above a workaday world ; and there is always a fine view of Mexico, 
with her cathedral towers, the volcanoes, the lofty mountains, the surrounding landscape. 

Coyohuacan is almost a continuation of San Angel, but there are more trees in it, and 
every house has its garden or its inner court filled with orange-trees. Both villages serve as a 
popular summer resort for the rich dwellers in the city of Mexico. It was at Coyohuacan that 
Cortez took up his residence for several months after the total destruction of the ancient 
Tenochtitlan. Here he founded a convent, too ; and in his last will and testament he expressed 




The Viga Can'al. 



LA VI G A AND THE SUBURBS 



127 



a desire to be buried in tliis convent, in whatever part of the world he might finish his days, — 
a wish that was not complied with. 

At the time of the conquest Coyohuacan, with Tacubaya, Tacuba, etc., stood on the margin 
of Lake Tezcuco ; most of the houses were built upon stakes, as they had to be entered by 
means of canoes. But now, like Tezcuco, they are back two or three miles from the lake. 

It is thought that Coyohuacan was always Cortez's favorite village, and it is e\'en now one 
of the prettiest in Mexico, having one of the handsomest village churches in that country. 

San Augustin is another of the fascinating villages of the territory of Mexico, and one 
where life seems to be almost one continual gala-day, so numerous are the festivals throughout 
the year. 

In short, it is difficult to enumerate the charms of this wonderful valley. A delightful way to 
reach it, if one has time enough in these modern, hurrying days, is to approach by the carriage- 
way from the Tlaxcala side. The road enters the basin of the lake some sixteen or eighteen 

rieht hand is the salt lake 



miles from Mexico. On the 
of Tezcuco, on the left the 
The city does not stand 
but near the northeastern 
three miles from the moun- 
Guadalupe. Cortez gives to 
of two hundred miles, mean- 
the mountains. Clavigero, a 
subject, more reliable — au- 
dred and twenty miles at 
The latitude is i9°26' N. and 
its elevation above the level 
four hundred and seventy 
the valley is that of an oval 
by mountains of every de- 
variety of appearance, from 
promontories) to Popocate- 
Mexico, and the highest upon 
with perpetual snow, ten 
higher than the city itself. 




Indian Way of Carrying Children 



fresh-water lake of Chalco. 
in the centre of the valley, 
part of it, not more than 
tains, in the direction of 
the valley a circumference 
ing, no doubt, at the crest of 
much later — and, on this 
thority, fixes it at one hun- 
the lowest point of elevation, 
the longitude 99°5' W., and 
of the sea is seven thousand 
feet. The appearance of 
basin surrounded on all sides 
gree of elevation and every 
the Pinolis (little ruea'ed 
petl, the highest mountain in 
this continent, and covered 
thousand four hundred feet 
No description can convey to 



the reader any adequate idea of the effect upon one who for the first time beholds that magnifi- 
cent prospect. With what feelings must Cortez have regarded It when he first saw it from the 
top of the mountain between the snow-covered volcanoes of Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl, a 
short distance to the left of where the road now runs ! The valley was studded all over with 
the homes of men, containing more than forty cities, besides towns and villages Avithout number. 
Never has such a vision burst upon the eyes of mortal man since that upon which the seer of 
old looked down from Pisrah. 

Near Mexico City, embowered in the stately cedars and cypress groves of Tacubaya, is the 
National Astronomical and Meteorological Observatory of Mexico. It is located on Observa- 
tory Hill, and the site was formerly occupied by the palace of the Archbishop of Mexico, and at 
one time by the Military Academy. Tacubaya is the most fashionable suburb of Mexico City, 
containing the summer residences of many of the prominent people of the capital, and being 
a most beautiful place. 



128 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

The observatory stands on the highest point within the Hmits of Tacubaya. The view from 
the roof of the new observatory is remarkable, taking in as it does the sahent features of the 
historic valley of Mexico. 

In the not far-distant future the Penon baths will be one of the great attractions of Mexico. 
For some reason Mexicans generally have never bestowed much attention on mineral waters. 
Their character is brought out in bold relief by the history of the Penon spring or baths, the 
existence of which seems to have attracted some attention more than a century ago, as in 1792 
Mr. Gabriel D. Ocampo, doctor of medicine of the Royal Pontifical University, expressed him- 
self as follows : 

"The large quantity of mephitic gases by which, as experience proves, candles are extin- 
guished and small birds suffocated or otherwise killed is, in my opinion, the active cause which 
restores as if by magic the lost activity of paralyzed or semi-paralyzed limbs. This is the gas 
which restores the necessary equilibrium in the circulation of the liquids and the muscular action 
of the solid parts of the body, and not only of those parts generally, but of the small fibres of 
which they are composed ; causing thereby if not a total extirpation of gout and rheumatism, 
a notable and beneficial relief of the same, a restoration of appetite, of the digestive powers, 
and the vital force." 

These boiling springs are said to contain sulphate of lime, carbonic acid, and muriate of 
soda, and the Indians make salt in their neighborhood much as they did in the time of Monte- 
zuma, with the difference, as Humboldt informs us, that they use copper caldrons, while their 
ancestors used vessels of clay. The solitary-looking baths are ornamented with odd-looking 
heads of cats and monkeys, which grin upon you with a mixture of the sinister and facetious 
that is rather appalling. 

On one of the sites where these mineral springs are to be found still stands a little church 
or chapel which dates back to the beginning of the colonial period, and suggests that, like the 
Pocito de Guadalupe, the Penon waters may have been used, with prayer and supplication, for 
effecting miraculous cures. But the baths have been in a state of almost total disuse as far 
back as those now living can remember, having been destitute of every accommodation until 
the present beautiful and commodious buildings were erected a few years since by Mr. Manuel 
Romero Rubio, who has transformed not only the old-time baths but also the surrounding 
country, over which flowed the w^aters of Lake Tezcuco. These waters still neutralize to a 
certain extent the herculean efforts that are beine made to convert what was a short time ao-o 
only a swamp into a beautiful park or garden, for, as the waters are saline, the atmosphere 
is destructive to a greater or lesser extent of vegetation. Wonders have been accomplished, 
however, and Penon is already one of the prettiest and most interesting as well as most health- 
giving spots in or near the city of Mexico. 

Among other attractions to be found at Penon is the manufacture of flooring-tiles, as beau- 
tiful in design and finish as those used by the Moors in the historic halls of Spain. There are 
patterns of every description and color. Then there are roofing-tiles, thin as slate but hard as 
iron, plain and glazed ; there are also street-paving blocks and artificial stone, blocked for 
finishing work without further need of sculptor's or mason's chisel. There is a lime-kiln with 
four furnaces ; there is a factory for making Portland cement ; there are salt-pans for the manu- 
facture of salt and sal soda by the process of evaporation. The hill of Penon is encircled by 
a railroad track, on which tramway cars as well as freight cars run, and the hill is a quarry 
from which enormous supplies of stone are daily shipped. 



THE STATE OF MEXICO 



129 



CHAPTER XV 



\ 



THE STATE OF MEXICO 

N considerinor the state of Mexico we must remember that it is not mere acrearre or 
population, pubUc institutions or temples or monuments of any kind, however im- 
posing, however venerable, however historic, however beautiful, that constitute a 
state. 

It has been the men of 
thoug-ht and action who have brouo-ht 
Mexico from under the yoke of the Span- 
iard (who in three hundred years wrung 
so many million dollars in treasure from 
her suffering people) and made of the 
down-trodden province a free and inde- 
pendent country among the nations of the 
globe. 

There are many delightful spots and 
interesting places in the state of Mex- 
ico. Here are found lofty peaks and deep 
barrancas, broad meadows and narrow 
vales, inaccessible heights and cultivated 
fields, succeeding one another in delightful 
variety. Porphyry, basalt, and lava are 
common, and "firm as the everlasting- 
hills" could find nowhere a more fitting 
application. 

Molino de Flores is a charming 
country-place belonging to the family of 
Cervantez which lies off the line of the 
railway, about three miles west of Tez- 
cuco. Its chief beauty is a rocky ravine, 
plentifully shaded, in which, beside a rus- 
tic chapel, is a waterfall. The gardens 
watered by the stream are laid out with 

much taste and filled with flowers. In their midst stands the large and handsome residence, 
and a short distance below the waterfall is the mill. At times when the residence is not occu- 
pied strangers are admitted to the grounds by the steward. 

The beauty of the scenery is indescribable. The path winds ascending through a wilder- 

9 




Senur Gobernador-General Jose Vicente Villada. 



I30 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

ness of trees and flowering shrubs, bathed by a clear and rapid rivulet ; every now and then, 
through the arched forest-trees, we catch glimpses of the snowy volcanoes and of the distant 
domes and lakes of Mexico. 

The ruins of the old Carmelite convent, standing on the slope of a hill, are surrounded by 
noble forests of pine and oak and cedar, — long and lofty torest-aisles, where the monks of former 
days wandered in peaceful meditation. But they removed from this beautiful site to another 
equally beautiful and wilder, also called the Desierto, but much farther from Mexico ; so this 
fertile region belongs to no one, and lies here deserted in solitary beauty. Some poor Indians 
live among the ruins of the old cloisters, and the wild deer possess the undisputed sovereignty 
of the woods. It is said that a benisfhted traveller who had lost his way in these solitudes, and 
was miraculously saved from dying of cold, founded this rich convent of Carmelite monks in 
gratitude to Heaven for his deliverance, expressing his desire that all travellers who passed 
that way should receive hospitality from the convent. Certainly no place more fitted for devo- 
tion could have been selected than this mountain retreat ; and when the convent bell tolled at 
evening, calling the monks to prayer, and awakening the echoes of the silent hills, its deep 
notes must have been all in unison wath the solemn scene. 

An old chronicler, Thomas Gage, an English monk of the Dominican order, who was 
smuggled into Mexico about the middle of the seventeenth century, thus describes, in his 
" New Survey of the West Indies," Desierto in its palmy days : 

" Northwestward three leagues from Mexico is the pleasantest place of all that are about 
Mexico, called La Soledad, or by others cl desierto, the solitary or desert place, and wildernesse ; 
were all wildernesses like it, to live in a wildernesse would be better than to live In a city. This 
has been a device of poor Fryers named discalced or barefooted Carmelites, who to make show 
of their hypocritical and apparent godliness, and that whilst they would be thought to live like 
Eremites, retired from the world, they may draw the world unto them, they have built there 
a stately cloister, which being upon a hill and among rocks, makes It the more admired. About 
the cloister they have fashioned out many holes and caves In, under, and among the rocks like 
Eremite lodgings, with a room to He In, and an oratory to pray In, with pictures, and Images, and 
rare devices for mortification, as disciplines of wyar, rods of iron, hair-cloth girdles with sharp 
wyar points to girdle about their bare flesh and many such like toys, which hang about their ora- 
tories, to make people admire their mortification and holy lives. All these Eremetlcal holes and 
caves (which are some ten in all) are within the bounds and compass of the cloister and among 
orchards and gardens full of fruits and flowers, which may take up two miles of compasse, and 
here among the rocks and springs of water, with the shade of the plantains and other trees, 
are most cool and pleasant to the Eremites ; they have also the sweet smell of the roze and 
jazmin, which is a little flower but the sweetest of all others ; there Is not any other flower to 
be found that Is rare and exquisite in that country which Is not In that wildernesse to delight 
the senses of these mortified Eremites. All this lovely place is really a solitary place, a wilder- 
nesse now, but even In Its ruin it Is one of the most beautiful spots to be found near the city, 
while the remains of the cloister and the ' Eremetlcal holes and caves' make it one of the most 
curious and interesting." 

The way to Lerma Is through a massive stone gateway, from which the gates were removed 
very long ago. The streets are broad but straggling, the houses comfortable rather than grand 
or even elegant, and the many eucalyptus-trees planted around the picturesque adobe and stone 
church go back probably to the time of Maximilian. Across the way from the church is the 
old graveyard which all tourists in Mexico soon hear about. There are Indisputable records in 



THE STATE OF MEXICO 



i^i 



the convent in the city of Mexico to prove its age. The graves of the Spanish conquistadores 
are nine in number, and were marked with limestone slabs over two centuries ago. It is a 
custom among the Mexicans, who sell pebbles and cobble-stones from these graves to tourists, 
to throw on a fresh handful on the occasion of each visit hither. As a result, each grave is 
surmounted by a heap of small white stones a yard high. 

Tetzcotzinco, about three miles east of Tezcuco, is the laughing hill {risucna colina] of 
Tetzocotzinco. Here is an enduring monument to the engineering skill and good taste of 
Netzahualcoyotl, in the shape of the wonderful pleasaunce that he caused to be built for his 
amusement and recreation. The remains of terraced walks and stairways wind around the hill 
from the base to the summit ; seats are hollowed in shady nooks among the rocks, and every- 




VlLLAGE OF TlAPACOZO. 



where traces are found of ingenious contrivances by which the natural beauty and cool comfort 
of the situation are enhanced. The most important and most curious ot these remains, at an 
elevation of eighty or one hundred feet, is that to which has been given the purely fanciful title 
of " Montezuma's bath," — a circular reservoir about five feet in diameter and three feet deep, 
whence water was distributed through many channels to the hanging gardens below. In order 
to supply the little reservoir stupendous works were executed. Near the laughing hill, distant 
one-half or three-quarters of a mile, is another small hill, and beyond this, twelve or fifteen 
miles, is the mountain-chain that encircles the valley. 

F"rom the side of the reservoir, the side ot the hill in which it is hollowed is cut down and 
levelled, as thoueh eraded for a railroad, for about half a mile ; thence the grade is carried 
across a ravine to the adjacent hill on an embankment fully sixty feet high ; thence the side of 



132 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

the second hill is graded for a distance of a mile and a half, and thence the grade is carried on 
an embankment across the plain to the distant mountains. Along the top of the level thus 
formed was built an aqueduct, much of which still remains in excellent preservation and testifies 
to the skill of its builders. It is formed of very hard plaster, made of lime and small portions 
of soft red stone, is about two feet wide, and has a conduit about ten inches in diameter, — a 
concave trough covered by convex sections of plaster, forming a tube. A part of this pleasuring 
place, though some distance from it, is the Bosque del Contador, a magnificent grove of ahue- 
hucetes, enclosing a great quadrangle that probably in ancient times was a lake. 

The great causeway to Ixtapalapan was that by which Cortez twice entered the city across 
the waters of Tezcuco, the first time hailed with demonstrations of welcome by myriads of 
Aztecs, the second, the occasion of Tenochtitlan's final conquest, greeted by the fiercest and 
most desperate resistance. 

Here were the famous gardens of Cuitlahua, Montezuma's brother, where he feasted the 
visiting Spaniards. Here, also, was the home of Guatemozin, the last great Aztec emperor. 
Now gardens and palaces have disappeared, and only a dusty, scantily populated village 
remains. 

High in mid-air, as it were, the climate of the state of Mexico, while it has a pleasant 
variety, leaves nothing to be desired by those to whom pure air without keen cutting winds, 
bright sun that does not scorch, and abundance of pure and running water melted from the 
eternal glistening snows are indispensable. The climate, be it said in a word, is such as to 
bring contentment and peace the year around, without undue lassitude at any time. 

And yet this is the country of the sweetest, happiest dolce far niente on the globe. Here 
man can be rich without being fatigued, and be happy without being either. 

The value of rural property here is estimated at nineteen million seven hundred and 
seventy-six thousand and thirty-two dollars, and that of city possessions at five million three 
hundred and seven thousand seven hundred and seventy-one dollars ; it is therefore evident 
that the people here are sufficiently well-to-do, as a whole, to satisfy the average demand. 
Yet those who bring here the feverish thirst for riches may find in her fertile plains and in 
the rocky veins of her grand and silent mountains "riches beyond the dreams of avarice," 
with surroundings permitting the mere money-grabber to live happily among the sources of 
his wealth. 

The variety of climate permits the production of all classes of crops. There are abundant 
harvests of wheat, Indian corn, and other cereals in the valleys of Toluca, Iztlahuaca, Tenango, 
and Tezcuco, and of sugar cane, coffee, and other tropical products in the districts of Temas- 
caltepec, Tenancingo, and others. The forest products are remarkable not only for their diversity 
but for their richness. 

The raising of cattle is one of the principal resources of this state, and is increasing rapidly 
each year, the annual product already reaching eight hundred and fifty thousand head. 

But pastoral life is giving way to more modern methods of existence and livelihood-winning. 
The iron horse is shrieking his way along over these vast plains and around and among these 
lofty mountains. 

Toluca, the capital of the state, is united, since 1882, to the capital of the republic by the 
Mexican National Railway, which traverses a most picturesque country all the way to San Luis 
Potosi. All the railways which centre in the metropolis cross this state, giving it ready exporta- 
tion for all its products. 

The Mexican Central runs north and south through the state, from the borders of the 



THE STATE OF MEXICO 133 

Federal District, through Lecheria, Cuautitlan, Teoloyucan, Huehuetoca, and Xochistongo ; at 
Tula, just over the line in the state of Hidalgo, having a branch to Pachuca. This splendid 
railway gives direct and rapid communication, through Juarez and El Paso, with New York by 
the Santa Fe route to Chicago, thence over the picturesque Pennsylvania system, wliile 
branches from the main line give outlet on the Gulf of Tampico and on the Pacific at San 
Bias. 

The National Mexican road, or Laredo route, also gives free communication northward 
with the rest of the world. What will make the railways pay best are, perhaps, the mineral 
treasures that abound on every hand. 

The mining industry is as yet little developed, although it is certain that with proper devel- 
oping facilities it will be a most important factor in the state's material progress. In the mines 
of Temascaltepec and Zacualpam, as in those of Oro, the profits are large, gold, silver, lead, iron, 
and copper being obtained in large quantities. The supply of sulphur from the great snow- 
capped mountain, the volcano Popocatepetl, is enormous. There is in this district coal of 
excellent quality, and zinc is found in the form of blendes accompanied by silver ore. There 
is, however, greatly increased activity in mining in this state. The Ouebradillas mines, in 
Temascaltepec, are limiting the amount of their dividends in order that they may continue 
indefinitely. The Tejupilco district is being steadily developed, and in the Sultepec district the 
Hidalgo Company is running a custom smelter, for which there is plenty of ore obtainable in 
the neighborhood. 

The good citizens of Mexico are by no means ignorant. If any of them were, it would be 
their individual fault, for there are in the state one thousand and twenty-four public and seventy- 
nine private schools, in which are taught fifty-six thousand five hundred and fifty-two pupils, or 
more than fifty per cent, of those of proper age. There are eight hundred and forty-five boys' 
schools, with forty-one thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight pupils, and one hundred and 
seventy-six for girls, with eleven thousand four hundred and eighty-nine pupils. The amount 
expended on public institutions by the state of Mexico is two hundred and eleven thousand one 
hundred and four dollars per year. 

In Toluca there is a splendid Girls' Normal School of Arts and Trades, established by 
Governor Villada. These schools are largely for the purpose of elevating the ignorant and 
inferior classes. In those for both sexes in Toluca are many of the Mazahuatl, Otomi, and 
Aztec indigenes, whose ambition is to return to their villages as primary teachers. The spread 
of the Spanish language, thus accomplished, will do much toward the unification ot the republic 
and the inculcation of patriotic ideas. 

The venerable Literary Insdtute of Toluca was reorganized in 18S6 as the Sciendfic and 
Literary Institute of the State of Mexico. 

Public charities are also well organized. There are an asylum for boys and one for girls, 
a general hospital in the city, and a local hospital in each of the cities of Sultepec, Jilotepec, 
Tlalnepantla, Tezcuco, and \'alle de Bravo. 

The capital of the state of Mexico has a penitentiary, with spacious quarters, where 
machinery is run by steam-power, and the establishment is lighted by electricity. The object 
of this institution is the reformation of the criminal and the abolition of the death penaltJ^ 
Humanitarian ideas of the most advanced character are evident at all stages of one's progress 
through this model institudon. Education is compulsory, each prisoner being given sufficient 
instruction to enable him to earn his own living honestly by handicraft when he is liberated. 

There is a woollen-mill at Toluca which produces handsome cloths. In this country 



134 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



manufactures have made such rapid strides, and have become so important, that it will not be 
long- before it can be called a manufacturingr centre. 

A trip over the westward division of the Mexican National Railway is full of pleasure. 
The swift ride up the Madre Mountains, playing hide-and-seek with the volcanoes on the way 
alono- as the train enters the canon on the mountain's crest, and the passing under the aqueduct 
hundreds of feet above the village of Ocoyocac, are exciting and interesting in the extreme. 
Leaving the city of Mexico from the Colonia station, the train passes under an old aqueduct, — 
this is a country of aqueducts, — Chapultepec is seen to the left, the bell of Noche Triste and 

the churches of San Esteban 
and Los Remedies to the right ; 
then through the valley and the 
Hondo, and over the hill to the 
Lerma and the valley of Toluca, 
there are fine views. 

The soft-named and beau- 
tiful capital of this interesting- 
state nestles at the foot of snow- 
crowned mountains, one of them 
the extinct volcano from which 
it is named, whose white top 
looks silently down with the 
calm of centuries upon the city 
with its hum and movement and 
restless progress, as the still 
ages might look down upon the 
onrushing to-day. Her wide and 
well-paved streets, her spacious 
plazas and shady squares, her 
imposing buildings, some gray with centuries, some new with the spirit of the nineteenth 
century, combined with the delightful situation and the grandeur of the surrounding scenery, 
succeed in making this city of the upper air one of surpassing interest and beauty. Its 
modern institutions devoted to education, progress, and humanity deserve special mention in 
this brief record. 

Toluca lies in the centre of the fertile plains west of the Sierra Madre. It is one of the 
cleanest cities in the country. Its parks and plazas are beautiful. From the summit of the 
volcano named one may look at once on the waters both of the Gulf of Mexico and of the 
Pacific Ocean. 

In this, as in every other Mexican town, there Is a plaza, which is a place of recreation 
for the people. Usually the cathedral and the government buildings are found on this public 
square. 

The beautifiil Alameda, the rendezvous for the elite of the city on fete-days and Sundays, 
is one of the most perfect parks in the republic. It is the result of the strenuous efforts of 
Governor Villada, a man wedded to his work in making the state of Mexico famous for its 
advancement and improvement. In this gorgeous display of verdure, drives, and lakelets he 
has succeeded in adding another feature to the already acknowledged beauty of Toluca. 
Entering this lovely park by wide arched gateways, we are confronted by a masterpiece of art 




Garden and Palace in Toluca. 



THE STATE OF MEXICO 135 

and industry. Swans gracefully curve their long necks to greet the visitor ; deer, already 
tamed by the young children, come forward sniffing a glad welcome ; and if it is the good 
fortune to visit this plaza on a fiesta day, there are lovely senoritas, clad in delicate gowns, gay 
parasols, colors, — everything pertaining to gladness and beauty. There we have an oppor- 
tunity of studying a phase of life among the young folks in this vast country of relics. 

A lovely girl passes, gayly decked in her own becoming color, her dark beauty enhanced 
by the blossom of )'outh. She is accompanied by some friend or chaperon, perhaps her 
mother, and behind her follows her noido, or sweetheart. It is in these parks and under the 
balcony of the young woman in question that all the love-making is done. Not a word alone 
are they permitted to utter, and the language of their eyes has brought their hearts to communion 
long ago. They are happy, for they know no other method of love-making. One could scarce 
imagine a girl in the United States subjecting herself to this custom, but she who has long 
since tired of the soulless flirtation is first to appreciate the utter sincerity in the rapid 
exchanged glances. The women of this country are gentle, womanly, beautiful, devoted to 
their husbands ; tender, loving mothers, gracious, and lifted. 

When Cortez and his hosts came to Mexico in 15 19, the conqueror found the people in 
Toluca the most prosperous of the subjects of Montezuma. The Spanish had a revenue ot 
five millions of dollars in one year from the deposits of precious stones alone in Toluca, and 
big baskets of emeralds, sapphires, and garnets were taken from the mountain-sides of Toluca 
for sale in Europe. Cortez began the erection of a home near Toluca for the comfort of his 
old and wounded soldiers. To this day may be seen the stone foundations laid for that structure, 
which went no further because of the sudden change in the fortunes of the conqueror. Com- 
paratively few tourists in the old republic visit Toluca. 

In going there from Mexico City the way leads down the beautiful Paseo de la Reforma, 
which united Mexico with Chapultepec, and takes one through Tacubaya and o\'er a great 
mountain wall. Up above the last pueblo the climbing gets pretty steep, especially after 
leaving the pine belt. The fir-trees in this region resemble the hemlock-spruce, but have a 
different arrangement of the needles. Polypodium ferns grow in tufts on every hand, and 
cardinal flowers, but very long and straggling and by no means so beautiful as the same 
plant elsewhere. Scarlet tanagers and blue tanagers fly about everywhere. There are also 
sparrow-hawks even more beautiful in plumage than the tanagers, and doves unusually bril- 
liant in color, not to mention hundreds of parrots of every hue and variety. On the crest of 
the mountains that divide the country of the Tolucans from the city of Mexico the character 
of the vegetation suddenly and marvellously changes. Here in the same altitude, but facing 
a warmer sun and milder winds, are forests of tropical chestnuts. Mahogany and tangerine- 
orange-trees are seen, and the ground is green with the grazing plant known as alfilcrca. 
About half-way down the mountain-range is a wide plateau, and about half a mile from it is 
the historic glen of Las Cruces, — the Bunker Hill of Mexico. The spot is marked by an 
obelisk, some thirty feet high, of limestone set upon a heavy foundation of concrete. This is 
the scene of the first real victor)' of the Mexicans over the Spaniards in the war of 18 10. It 
was in the glen of Las Cruces that Hidalgo, with the mountaineers of the place, dro\e back 
the royalist troops with heavy loss. The engagement gave the Mexicans self-confidence, 
provino- to them that under favorable conditions they might defeat the well-trained and com- 
pletely armed soldiers of the Spanish viceroys. 

Half a mile to the north, on the same plateau, is the old pueblo of Las Cruces. The popu- 
lation of the town is about twelve hundred, and its li\'elihood is derived entirely from the sale 



^ J 



6 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



of the beautifully polished woods of the mountain forests and all manner of gewgaws, toys, 
and silver filigree work, which have a large sale among tourists who visit the city of Mexico. 
Leavino- Las Cruces, the soil becomes well watered and very fertile. One sees hundreds of 
farmers at work in their fields of alfalfa, barley, onions, and maguey, and in orchards of olives, 
prunes, and almonds, that cover hundreds of acres. 

The peak of Toluca was made famous by the historian Prescott. It is more than sixteen 
thousand feet high, but not snow-covered. The peak of Toluca has probably an extensive 
snow-field on its summit, but this is hidden by irregular ridges, which compare ill with the sym- 
metrical cone of Popocatepetl or the battlemented crest of the White Lady (Ixtaccihuatl). The 
wind blows snow in fine jets from the hidden snow-field, and this makes the mountain appear to 
be smoking. The folk-lore of the Aztecs in the days of Montezuma was redolent with legends 
about the smoking Toluca and its supernatural power. 

On the plains of Toluca one sees the river Lerma like a ribbon of silver. This is one of 
the great rivers of Mexico. It flows northwest to Lake Chapala, the largest lake in the republic. 
From this it runs north, and under the name of Rio Grande de Santiago rolls a navigable 
stream to the Pacific Ocean, which it enters near San Bias. The city of Lerma is on the rocky 
eminence, and the bell-tower and dome of its famous church are very conspicuous. The whole 
plain rises gently from the marsh land at the foot of the hills and sweeps up to the base of the 
great mountain-range of which the peak of Toluca is the culmination. Far as the eye can 
reach the soil is cultivated and gives evidence of lavish care. The variegated coloring of the 
fields, planted in different varieties of grains, gives it the appearance of a mammoth checker- 
board. Everywhere are big villages or imposing haciendas. One of these, perched upon the 
last slope of the hill-side, might have been taken bodily from one of the Italian cantons of 
Switzerland. 

At the outskirts of Toluca are two elaborate shrines, where one may often see a group of 
farmers and laborers who have stopped on their way home to offer prayer. Near by is a queer 
old stone one-arched bridge over a little stream. It is a very crude, massive affair, unlike any- 
thing in the United States. Not a half-mile away is an American steel bridge, and the contrast 
between them is striking. One is inadequate, expensive, unscientific, and yet picturesque ; the 
other is plain, cheap, perfectly sufficient, but utilitarian. These two bridges represent early 
Mexico contrasted with to-day under the enlightened rule of President Porfirio Diaz. 

The little village of Otumba, about twenty-five miles from Mexico, was the scene of one of 
Cortez's greatest battles. From these plains, stretching far away to the territory of Tlaxcala, 
can be seen the venerable pyramids of Teotihuacan, which, next to the pyramid of Cholula, are 
the most remarkable remnants of ancient American civilization in North America. They were 
found by the Aztecs, according to their traditions, on their entrance into the country, when Teoti- 
huacan, the habitation of the gods, now a paltry village, was a flourishing city, the rival of Tula, 
the great Toltec capital. The two principal pyramids were dedicated to Tonatiuh, the sun, 
and Mextli, the moon. The former, which is considerably the larger, has been found by recent 
measurements to be six hundred and eighty-two feet long at the base and one hundred and 
eighty feet high, dimensions not inferior to those of some of the kindred monuments of Egypt. 
They were divided into four stories, of which three are now discernible. The interior is com- 
posed of clay mixed with pebbles, encrusted on the surface with the light, porous stone tetzontli, 
so abundant in the neighboring quarries. Over this was a thick coating of stucco, resembling 
in its reddish color that found in the ruins of Palenque. According to tradition, the pyramids 
are hollow, but hitherto the attempt to discover the cavity in that dedicated to the sun has been 



THE STATE OF MEXICO 



137 



unsuccessful. In the smaller mound an aperture has been found on the southern side at two- 
thirds of the elevation. It is formed by a narrow gallery, which, after penetrating to the distance 
of several yards, terminates in two pits or wells. The largest of these is about fifteen feet 
deep, and the sides are faced with unbaked bricks ; but to what purpose it was devoted nothing 
is left to show. It may have been to hold the ashes of some powerful chief like the solitary 
apartment discovered in the great Egyptian pyramid. That these monuments were dedicated 




CUMBRE DE LAS CrUCES, 
The Place where a Great Battle was fought. 



to relio-ious uses there is no doubt, and it would be only conformable to the practice of antiquity 
in the Eastern continent that they should have served for tombs as well as temples. Prescott, 
who gives the best description of them, says, " Distinct traces of the latter destination are said 
to be visible on the summit of the smaller pyramid, consisting of the remains of stone walls 
showinp" a buildine of considerable size and strength. There are no remains on the top of the 
pyramid of the Sun, but the traveller who will take the trouble to ascend its bald summit will be 
amply compensated by the glorious view it wall open to him : toward the southeast the hills of 
Tlaxcala, surrounded by their green plantations and cultivated cornfields, in the midst of which 
stands the little village, once the proud capital of the republic ; somewhat farther to the south 
the eye passes across the beautiful plains lying around the city of Puebla de los Angeles, 
founded by the old Spaniards, and still rivalling, in the splendor of its churches, the most bril- 
liant capitals of Europe ; and far in the west he may behold the valley of Mexico spread out 
like a map, with its diminished lakes, its princely capital rising in still greater glory from its 
ruins, and its rugged hills gathering darkly around it as in the days of Montezuma." 



1^,8 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



The summit of this larger mound is said to have been crowned by a temple in which was a 
colossal statue of its presiding deity, the Sun, made of one entire block of stone, and facing 
the east. Its breast was protected by a plate of burnished gold and silver, on which the first 
rays of the rising luminary rested. An antiquary in the early part of the last century speaks 
of having seen some fragments of the statue. It was still standing, according to report, on the 
invasion of the Spaniards, and was demolished by the indefatigable Bishop Zumarraga, whose 
hand fell more heavily than that of Time itself on the Aztec monuments. 

Around the principal pyramids are a great number of smaller ones, rarely exceeding thirty 
feet In height, which, according to tradition, were dedicated to the stars, and served as sepulchres 
for the great men of the nation. They are ranged symmetrically in avenues terminating at the 
sides of the great pyramids, which face the cardinal points. The plain on which they stand was 
called Micoatl, or "Path of the Dead." The laborer, as he turns up the ground, still finds 
there numerous arrow-heads and blades of obsidian, attesting the warlike character of its 
primitive population. 

"What thoughts must crowd on the mind of the traveller as he wanders amidst these 
memorials of the past," says Prescott ; "as he treads over the ashes of the generations who 
reared these colossal fabrics which take us from the present into the very depths of time ! 
But who were their builders ? Was it the shadowy Olmecs, whose history, like that of the 
ancient Titans, is lost in the mists of fable ? or, as commonly reported, the peaceful and indus- 
trious Toltecs, of whom all we can glean rests on traditions hardly more secure? What has 
become of the races who built them ? Did they remain on the soil and mingle and become 
incorporated with the fierce Aztecs who succeeded them ? or did they pass on to the south and 
find a wider field for the expansion of their civilization, as shown by the higher character of 
the architectural remains in the distant regions of Central America and Yucatan ? It is all a 
mystery, over which time has thrown an impenetrable veil that no mortal hand may raise. A 
nation has passed away, powerful, populous, and well advanced in refinement, as attested by 
their monuments ; but it has perished without a name ; it has died and made no sign." 

A few hundred yards from the pyramids, in a secluded spot shut closely in by two small 
hillocks, is a very remarkable stone, no doubt a sacrificial stone. It is about ten feet long, five 
or six feet broad, and as many feet in height. It is very handsomely hewn, with a well-cut 
cornice, but has none of the human or other figures in relief which are so well cut on other 
sacrificial stones in Mexico. The whole weight of this huge mass of porphyritic stone cannot 
be less than twenty-five tons. 

From these pyramids a broad street leads off in a southern direction for six or eight hun- 
dred yards, and terminates in the ruins of the old city Teotihuacan. These ruins cover an area 
very nearly as large as that of the present city of Mexico, and the streets are distinctly marked 
by the ruins of the houses. There is one large public square of twenty acres, with the ruin of 
a stone building in the centre of it, with many more smaller squares in different places, each 
having the same ruin in the centre, which is proportionately as much smaller than the ruin 
in the large square as the difference in the size of the squares themselves. If it was desired 
to build a new city on the same spot one could not be laid out in any respect better than by 
adopting the plan of this one which is in ruins. The streets and public squares are designated 
by the large piles of rock in close juxtaposition on the sides of each, but each pile separate, and 
having exactly the appearance, only larger, of a long row of potato hills. These stones have 
manifestly not been placed one upon another, but have exactly the appearance of a brick or 
stone house which has tumbled down. On the western side of this ruined city is a ravine 



THE STATE OF MEXICO 



139 



some forty feet wide, the sides of wiiich are for the greater portion of its extent of a soft rock. 
On each bank of this ravine there are niches eighteen inches or two feet in diameter, and of 
a circular form ; these are said by the natives of the country to have been places of sepulture. 

The ancient city of Tezcuco, which at the period of the conquest was second only to the 
city of Mexico, is also a place famous in history as the spot where Cortez launched his thirteen 
brigantines, which were used with so much effect in his second and successful attack upon the 
city of Mexico. They were built in Tlaxcala, sixty miles distant, and were carried to Tezcuco 
by the Tlaxcalans and put together and launched there. The city of Tezcuco was at that time 
on the eastern shore of the lake, but the waters have receded and left it three miles distant. 
The site of Mexico is the same now as then, but it was then surrounded by water and con- 
nected with the mainland by three causeways. The same receding of the waters of the lake at 
Tezcuco leaves the city of Mexico the same distance from the western shore. The lake is daily 
crossed by Indians from the neighborhood of Tezcuco carrying vegetables, coal, and other 
articles to Mexico for sale. 



I40 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XVI 



HIDALGO 



^^ feW^ET us now leave the state of Mexico and journey through this fascinating republic, 

1 1 which combines so much of the old and the new, the romantic and the historic, 

^^ J the traditions of the past and the spirit of modern progress. 

^^^t0 Closely adjacent on the northeast lies the state of Hidalgo. The word 

hidalgo is applied in Spain to every noble man and woman, though strictly 

belonging only to the lowest orders of nobility, constituting the Jiidalgiiia. 

This state bears the name of Mexico's Washington, the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, 

who was the first to proclaim the independence of his country (September i6, 1810), and who 

gave his life for the nation that was to be. 
Touching the state of Mexico (its southern 
boundary), and enclosed by that and the 
states of Oueretaro to the west, San Luis to 
the north, and Vera Cruz and Pueblo on the 
side of the rising sun, it has a cluster of de- 
lightful and prosperous cities and towns along 
the lines of the Mexican Central Railway. El 
Salto, Tula, San Antonio, Marquez, Nopala, 
Cazadero, are strung, like jewels, along the 
thread of steel rails forming the main line, 
while Pachuca, the capital, Tlaxcoapan, Rosal, 
Temoaya, and Concepcion are on the branch 
which leaves the main line at Tula. 

Pachuca, the capital city, has a population 
of forty thousand, which rejoices in the fact 
that the city is eight thousand feet — a good 
mile and a half — above sea-level. It is the 
seat of government, and is entirely devoted 
to mininor and metallurgical reduction and the 
business erowinof out of these twin industries. 
Pachuca is surrounded by high mountains 
veined with silver, which the Spaniards mined 
three hundred and seventy-five years ago, and 
the Aztecs before them. North of the city is 

the deepest shaft in the country, sixteen hundred and forty-five feet deep, with fortress-like 

walls. Real del Monte has one of the largest water-wheels on earth, fifty feet in diameter. 




SeSor Gobernador-General Rafael Cravioto. 



142 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



The largest pump in the world may be found at the Dificultad mine in Real del Monte, the 
road to which from Pachuca is very fine, and was built by the originators of the Real del Monte 
Mining Company at their own expense. 

The city of Pachuca is considered one of the most prosperous in the republic in proportion 
to its population. While it has no artificial drainage system, a natural sewer in the shape of 
a river supplies this deficiency. 

The plantation of Santiago Tuxtla once belonged to Cortez, and is said to be the one on 
which he first planted sugar-cane in Mexico ; in fact, the remains of old sugar-mills said to have 

been built by him are still to be 
found, overgrown with cedars 
some of which are over two feet 
in diameter, which certainly 
shows that the ruins are very old. 
Pachuca is a shell of por- 
phyry with its open edge toward 
the northeast and its curves lost 
in the lofty Sabanillas and San 
Cristobal range. The Pachuca 
skies are a lovely blue and the 
mountains brown. Only now 
and then a bit of green shows 
among the deep gullies. The 
river is of a muddy color, but 
the bridges of stone between 
east and west Pachuca are quite 
picturesque. Her streets spread 
out like the stems of a lady's fan, 
bearing the. names of Guerrero, 
Allende, Bravo, and other Mexican heroes. The patio of one house is often on a level with the 
roof of a neighbor, and the streets climb up the sides of the mountains like so many flights of 
stairs. The boulevard to the Cuesco hacienda and the road to the Santa Gertrudis mine are 
each very pleasant. Prosperous has been its career in the past, but with the swamping of the 
three greatest mines in December, 1895, the growth of the place received a short check. It was 
in the year 1557 that Bartolome de Medina, a monk, initiated the "patio" process for reduction 
of silver ores. The Pachuca mines were then twenty years old, and, although millions of silver 
pesos have been taken from the heart of the mountains, the silver skin of Pachuca has as yet 
only been scratched. Previous to the accident in December, 1895, when the three great mines 
of San Rafael, Maravillas, and Camelia were flooded, the district had an output in silver of five 
hundred thousand dollars per week. 

The mines have already started up, however, and have installed new electrical plants, so 
that the future of Pachuca mines is definitely settled to be greater than anything the past has 
ever known. These electrical plants were put in with twelve hundred horse-power, so that, with 
the growth of the future, Pachuca is destined to be, as it has been, one of the most celebrated 
mining centres in the world. 

The transmutation of the hoary past into the aggressive future is nowhere better illustrated 
than by the growth and prospects of Tula. It is true beyond question that in the near future 




Hacienda of San Buenaventura. 



HIDALGO 



143 



Tula will be a resort like Orizaba and Cuernavaca, although it is not quite seven thousand feet 
high. The city is built upon a series of terraces that go down to the bottom-lands of emerald 
green. The broad, well-paved streets and fine sidewalks are arranged along these terraces. 
Half-way down to the river is an old church which looks more like a fortress than a house of 
worship. It stands on an enormous square artificially raised and perfectly level ; a battlemented 
wall around it is a modification of those known in Europe as redans, which were conunon in 
Mexico prior to the Spanish conquest. The towering massive church has its roof battlemented 
in the same way. At regular intervals along the walls are solid buttresses with stone sentry- 
boxes. This square and its outer wall are ascribed to the ancient Toltecs. 

There are three ancient bridges in the vicinity, one of which at least is Toltec. Various 
Toltec traditions have come down about this locality, flavored with all the musty romance of 
the past. There is good reason to sup- 
pose that one of these bridges was built 
in 210 A.D. and fell in the middle of the 
eleventh century, the remains still forming 
a picturesque bit of Tula. In this vicinity, 
too, are other antiquities, summed up in 
what the citizens call "The Treasury of 
Montezuma." 

On the same hill are some ancient Chi- 
chimec fortresses, — circular heaps of loose 
stone with earth thrown over them to keep 
them in place. They resemble the funnel 
which the ant-lion makes for the destruc- 
tion of the wandering ant. From their 
summit there is a most exquisite view of 
the valley of the Tula River and of the 
city with its lower terraces embosomed in 
verdant ash-trees. The church looks like 
a mediaeval fortress, and the valley is 
an emerald patch of waving wheat-fields. 
"The Treasury of Montezuma," now in 
ruins, is on the top of the hill. There are 
two distinct kinds of fragmentary walls, 
eight feet thick. There is one large room 
thirty-two feet long, with the chunam floor- 
ing nearly perfect. The people of Tula visit 
these ruins continually, believing many 
treasures to be concealed there. They dream dreams, and then go out and sink pits in the 
flooring, hoping to enrich themselves with wonderful treasures of Montezuma's time. It is 
probable that at one time these ruins were the abode of the patriarchal chief when the whole 
slope was covered with fruit-trees and the summit a beautiful garden. 

There are other strange relics of ancient times on another hill near Tula. These are carved 
rocks resting upon a stratum of adobe, below which the hill slopes down to the r'w&r precipi- 
tously. The carvings are symbolical, and are supposed to have been made about i 160 a.d., in 
the Chichimec era. There is a great wealth of carving, although the details are not so distinct 




Statue of Hidalgo. 



144 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



as they might be, because some clerical vandal has covered it with paper, fragments of which 
still cling there. There are seven of these rocks, — a magical number, — and it is thought they 
were objects of adoration previous to the conquest. Indeed, it is believed that certain Indians 
worship these rocks to-day. It is a deplorable thing that the Spaniards disturbed the rock- 
carving at Chapultepec or that vandals meddled with these at Tula. 

The beautiful valley in which Tula is situated teems with tropical flowers and foliage, and is 
noted for the Toltec ruins and relics which have been found and are still found there. The old 
church, which was built three hundred years ago, has walls seven feet thick, which seems enough 
for all practical purposes of construction, and the tower is one hundred and twenty-five feet high. 
It lies in the valley which the Toltecs entered when they came southward in 648, nearly twelve 
hundred and fifty years ago. What can we say definitely of the happenings in our own country 
more than eight hundred years before Columbus landed, and about four hundred years before 
Leif the Red set foot upon our shores? Tula was an important town more than a thousand 

years ago, and in fact was the 
capital of Mexico until a.d. 
1325. The proof of all this lies 
everywhere around, — the casas 
grandes, the broken columns, 
the quaint images all about the 
present town. 

The queer old church — 
although built in 1553 it is new 
in Tula — was evidently both 
fortress and church, as its seven- 
foot walls attest. Modern lime- 
kilns in this neighborhood, older 
than Egypt, mar in some meas- 
ure the aesthetic beauty of the 
scenery around about. 

When I crossed the little 
market-place near the plaza and 
turned into the high-road to the 
city of Mexico — which com- 
mences in a rude causeway over which immense trees cast a grateful shade — I came to an old 
stone bridge over the Tula River, and at once there opened before my enraptured eyes one 
of the finest landscapes on the American continent, the flowing river, the far-reaching meadows, 
the wide-branching trees, the clambering vines, the brilliant and contrasting flowers, the blue 
and cloudless sky, all combining to make a perfect picture that the artist might search for a life- 
time to improve upon. When the now long-departed Toltecs after long wanderings saw this 
lovely country spread out before them, "fair as the garden of the Lord," no wonder they 
halted there and set up their homes and altars. Nowhere in Mexico does one feel more strongly 
the impression of ancient Mexico than at Tula. Here is the witchery of an old, old world, — 
shadowy people, vague and mystical rites and ceremonies, and dreams of ancient Toltec civiliza- 
tion. In the small plaza stand the remains of old gods in the blazing sunshine of to-day ; 
and down yonder, crumbling into dust, is the old Toltec pyramid, built how many centuries ago ? 
One may, by a little searching, find broken pieces of obsidian razor-blades and flint arrow-heads 




Mine of Real del Monte. 



HIDALGO 



•45 



that were bathed in human blood before American civilization was even dreamed of; one may 
read in the old church venerable hieroglyphics pertaining to the idolatrous worship of the Aztecs 
and Toltecs ; one may see on every side evidences or traces of the romance and traditions of 
the long-forgotten past ; or one may take note of modern ideas and progress creeping in on 
every hand, of new ideas, of little children worshipping in the old church in the purer religion 
of to-day, of charming, cordial people ; in short, the most curious admixture of yesterday, to-day, 
and to-morrow imaginable. 

When at Tula, fifty miles from the national capital, we must not forget the canal of 
Nochistongo, a piece of work to which the Suez Canal is nothing. It is an open cut twelve 
miles long, with an average depth of one hundred and eighty feet and an average width of 
four hundred feet, built, at the 
cost of many thousand lives and 
eighteen million dollars, to save 
the city of Mexico from inunda- 
tion from Lake Tezcuco. 

This cut, or tajo, of Nochis- 
tongo was commenced in 1607. 
In its greatest width it is six 
hundred and thirty feet across. 
It may be seen very well from 
the line of the Mexican Central 
Railway, the trains passing along 
one side of the cut. 

At Cazadero, more than 
eleven hundred feet above the 
last principal station (San Juan 
del Rio), the scenery is very 
fine, embracing three varieties, 
— broad plain, deep-reaching 
valley, and cloud-piercing moun- 
tains. It was here, three and a half centuries ago, that the natives honored the first Spanish 
viceroy, Mendoza, by a grand hunt, as was their custom, in token of good will and welcome. 

The western part of the state is generally flat, or broken by mountains of but slight 
elevation ; the centre and north, however, are quite mountainous, the principal chain being that 
of Metztitlan (some of whose peaks are two thousand feet above the sea), noted for its magnifi- 
cent basaltic columns. There are beautiful lakes, one of them, Metztitlan, being about twenty 
miles long and ten wide ; then there are others, also beautiful, — Tecomulco, Apam, and Zupitlan. 

In some parts, as Pachuca and Apam (the celebrated pulque district), the climate is ver)^ 
variable. It is hot in Huejutla and other parts, and cold in other portions of the state. 

The principal riches of the state of Hidalgo are its innumerable mineral deposits, espe- 
cially those of silver, gold, copper, lead, iron, and coal. There are three hundred and seventeen 
mines in operation, and of these one hundred and ten are yielding metal. The more noted 
mineral districts are Pachuca, Real del Norte, El Chico, Zimapan, Zacualtipan, Ixmiquilpan, and 
Actopan. Pachuca, Real del Norte, and El Chico are the most prosperous, having forty mines 
in yield, some of which, as Santa Gertrudis, San Rafael, La Luz, Pabellon, El Baron, La Blanca 
and Dificultad, San Antonio, and El Rico, are very rich in silver. The mines of the Zimapan 




The Governor's Palace. 



146 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

district yield silver and lead. The district of Actopan, although known to and worked by the 
Spaniards, was comparatively neglected until recently, but will prove, when further developed, 
a valuable district, as much rich ore has been found there which carries a larger quantity of gold 
than that of Pachuca. The most notable mines there are the San Eugenio and the property of 
the Baron de Humboldt Company, whose drainage adit has now almost reached the main vein ; 
when this is done, the company intends to establish a reduction works at the mine, thus avoiding 
the heavy cost of carriage. These mines are on the eastern slope of the " Frailes" mountains, 
six leagues, or twentv-four kilometres, west of Pachuca. 

Pachuca is in the rich metal-bearing zone, which extends from northwest to southeast from 
Sonora to Oaxaca. The state of Hidalgo produces nearly six million dollars of silver per year 
from its two mineral centres. There is considerable gold in its beautiful mountains, but so far 
it has not been w^orked properly. The richness of these mines has been known throughout the 
world for three hundred years, and all of them seem inexhaustible. 

In Pachuca, where the "patio" process of silver reduction was invented by Bartolome de 
Medina, his old hacienda is still worked. 

The noble metal platinum, the use of which is increasing in the useful and decorative arts, 
is found in the state, but is not yet worked. It is certain that with foreign capital and methods 
fortunes could be made from this source alone. 

There are large deposits of coal, which are as yet unworked ; and ere very long Ameri- 
cans will go down and make money developing the "black diamonds" for local use, as well as 
for export. 

Pachuca has tw^elve reduction w^orks. El Chico nine. Real del Monte eight, and Zimapan 
eight. Pachuca exported in 1892 silver In bars to the value of nearly five and a halt millions 
of dollars, besides nearly nine and a half millions in ore. 

There are in the state six iron-works ; and in the districts of Zacualtipan and Huejutla 
are deposits of coal, w^iich are to be developed by a powerful English company. In Molango 
are graphite deposits. 

The mines in Pachuca were worked by the Spaniards in 1523, only two years after the 
conquest. Think of the untold millions that have been withdrawn from the inexhaustible 
deposits of the precious metal, where busy men of to-day still delve with the same eagerness 
as of old, but with increased interests and w-ants. 

This is one of the few districts in the world where that wonderful plant vanilla grows, the 
beans of which are worth in New York from ten dollars to twelve dollars a pound. In some 
years as high as three hundred per cent, profit has been made from this crop. This is one of 
the explanations of the enormous, almost fabulous, riches of some of the Me.xican planters. 

In this state we find the same maguey as in Mexico, — la planta de las maravillas, or the 
marvel plant, as it was called by Father Acosta, — being here of the very highest quality and 
largest yield. 

In Apam, Pachuca, Tula, and elsewhere we find all the cereals produced ; and Apam and 
Pachuca are the greatest centres for the production of pulque. In the rest of the hotter 
districts there are cultivated with ereat success coffee, cotton, suofar, tobacco, vanilla, and india- 
rubber ; and there is an abundant supply of naturally produced medicinal plants and valuable 
cabinet woods. 

I cannot speak of Hidalgo without mentioning its pulque, the yield of which is about a 
gallon and a half a day for three months for each plant. This industry yields eight million 
dollars a year to Hidalgo. Nor must I forget mescal, a highly intoxicating liquor, so fiery that 



148 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



the raw material for wool and silk manufacture being abundant 



when one takes his first drink the sensation is that of swallowing a torchlight procession. The 
best brand of this comes from the Tequila hacienda, and from this all mescal is ordinarily called 
tequila, just as all brandy is often called cognac. 

The conditions of the state, especially under the present governor, Rafael Cravioto, lend 
themselves very favorably to the establishment of new enterprises, only a few of which I may 
name. One of them is irrigation, there being in every part of the state large tracts under 
almost every condition of climate which would yield enormous returns by the establishment of 
systems of irrigation. Per contra, there are also extensive tracts where there is too much 
water, which, while now subject to inundation and not suitable for agriculture, would yield 
excellent returns if properly drained. There is room for a large extension of textile industries, 

In the northern part of the state 
there is opportunity to develop 
at great profit the cabinet woods 
and deposits of marble, pitch, 
petroleum, and coal. 

In the capital there is a 
scientific and industrial literary 
institute, in which are prose- 
cuted the studies necessary for 
the occupations of assaying and 
topographic, hydrographic, and 
mining engineering. There is 
also a practical mining school 
belonging to the federal govern- 
ment, in which pupils sent from 
Mexico City acquire practical 
training under the direction of a 
professor of metallurgy and one 
of mining exploitation. 

In this state I have added 
to my already large and varied 
collection of aboriginal names such beauties as Tlaxcoapan and Polotitlan, on the Central road, 
and Zimapan, Zacualtipan, Metztitlan, Yahualica, Huejutla, Jacala, Molango, and Ixmiquilpan, 
to which the railway has not yet penetrated. 

And now, having noted within the limited space at my disposal my impressions of the 
material part of the noted state of Hidalgo, I can only add a word concerning its distinguished 
chief magistrate, General Rafael Cravioto, a brave and patriotic soldier and statesman, whose 
every heart-beat is for his state and his country. Hidalgo and her people are fortunate in their 
noble governor. One of his chief efforts has been in the promotion of public instruction, com- 
pulsory education in this state having been decreed years before it was in the capital of the 
republic. Another testimony to his zeal in this direction is the establishment of the State 
Literary and Scientific Institute, where the methods of education are based on lines similar to 
those adopted in the city of Mexico. 





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Omitlan. 



TLA XC ALA 



149 



CHAPTER XVII 



TLAXCALA 



/^^ta-^ OUTH of Hidalgo lies the historic state o Tlaxcala, the scene of so much human 
^.A.^. tragedy during- Cortez's conquest. Tlaxcala is one of the oldest places in all 
^ Mexico, and was founded by the Chichimecs. For many years before the con- 
• ^^w quest this gallant little republic had maintained its independence against the Aztecs, 
of whose great family it was a branch. According to Prescott, " they came on 
the grand plateau about the same time with the kindred races, at the close of the twelfth cen- 
tury, and planted themselves on the Avestern borders of the lake of Tezcuco. Here they 
remained many years, engaged in the usual 
pursuits of a bold and partially civilized 
people. From some cause or other, perhaps 
their turbulent temper, they incurred the 
enmity of surrounding tribes. A coalition 
was formed against them, and a bloody battle 
was fought on the plains of Poyauhtlan, in 
which the Tlascalans were completely victo- 
rious. Disgusted, however, with their resi- 
dence among nations with whom they found 
so little favor, the conquering people resolved 
to migrate. They separated into three divi- 
sions, the larg-est of which, takinof a southern 
course by the great volcano of Mexico, 
wound around the ancient city of Cholula, 
and finally settled in the district of country 
overshadowed by the sierra of Tlascala. 

"The warm and fruitful valleys locked 
up in the embraces of this rugged brother- 
hood of mountains afforded means of sub- 
sistence for an agricultural people, while the 
bold eminences of the sierra presented secure 
positions for their towns." 

Tlaxcala signifies "land of bread," and_ 
the name was indicative of the fruitfulness of 

the soil then as now. Yellow harvests of maize and the bountiful maguey covered the rocky 
hill-sides, just as they do now, and contributed to the wealth of the little republic. Their 
geographical position was encompassed with mountains, and their warlike bravery gave them 




Senor Gobernador Coronel Prospero Cohorantzi. 



I50 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



a o-reat reputation as soldiers, and excited the wonder and admiration of Cortez and his army. 
Nowhere else did the Spaniards encounter such troops or meet with such determined resistance ; 
and the great Spaniard was quick to see that the Tlaxcalans would serve him much better as 
friends than as enemies. 

Says Prescott, " Nothing could be more picturesque than the aspect of these Indian bat- 
talions, with the naked bodies of the common soldiers gaudily painted, the fantastic helmets 
of the chiefs glittering with gold and precious stones, and the glowing panoplies of feather-work 
which decorated their persons. Innumerable darts and spears, tipped with points of transparent 
itztli or fiery copper, sparkled bright in the morning sun, like the phosphoric gleams playing on 
the surface of a troubled sea, while the rear of the mighty host was dark with the shadows of 




Governor's Palace i.n Tlaxcala. 



banners on which were emolazoned the armorial bearino-s of the o-reat Tlascalan and Otomi 
chieftains. Amonof these, the white heron on the rock, the cognizance of the house of Xicoten- 
catl, was conspicuous, and still more, the golden eagle with -outspread wings, in the fashion of 
a Roman signum, richly ornamented with emeralds and silver-work, the great standard of the 
republic of llascala. 

"The common file wore no covering except a girdle round the loins. Their bodies were 
painted with appropriate colors of the chieftain whose banner they followed. The feather- 
mail of the higher class of warriors exhibited also a similar selection of colors for the like object, 
in the same manner as the colors of the tartan indicate the peculiar clan of the Highlander. 
The caciques and principal warriors were clothed in quilted cotton tunics, two inches thick, 
which, fitting close to the body, protected also the thighs and the shoulders. Over these the 



TLAXCALA 



ItI 



wealthier Indians wore cuirasses of thin gold plate or silver. Their legs were defended by 
leathern boots or sandals trimmed with gold. But the most brilliant part of their costume was 
a rich mantle of the pluinajc, or feather-work, embroidered with curious art, and furnishing 
some resemblance to the gorgeous surcoat worn by the European knight over his armor in the 
Middle Ages. This graceful and picturesque dress was surmounted by a fantastic head-piece, 
made of wood or leather, representing the head of some wild animal, and frequently displaying 
a formidable array of teeth. With this covering the warrior's head was enveloped, producing a 
most grotesque and hideous effect. From the crown floated a splendid panache of the richly 
variegated plumage of the tropics, indicating by its form and colors the rank and family of the 
wearer. To complete this defensive armor, they carried shields or targets made sometimes of 
wood covered with leather, but more usually 
of a light frame of reed quilted with cotton, 
which were preferred as tougher and less 
liable to fracture than the former. They 
had other bucklers in which the cotton was 
covered with an elastic substance, enabling 
them to be shut up in a more compact form, 
like a fan or umbrella. These shields were 
decorated with showy ornaments, according to 
the taste or wealth of the wearer, and frineed 

o 

with a beautiful pendant of feather-work. 

"Their weapons were slings, bows and 
arrows, javelins, and darts. They were ac- 
complished archers, and would discharge 
two, or even three, arrows at a time. But 
they most excelled in throwing the javelin. 
One species of this, with a thong attached to 
it, which remained in the slinger's hand that 
he might recall the weapon, was especially 
dreaded by the Spaniards. These various 
weapons were pointed with bone or the 
mineral itztli (obsidian), the hard substance 
already noticed as capable of taking an edge 
like a razor, though easily blunted. Their 
spears and arrows were also frequently 

headed with copper. Instead of a sword they bore a two-handed staff about three feet and 
a half long, in which at regular distances were inserted transversely sharp blades of itztli, — 
a formidable weapon, which, as an eye-witness assures us, he had seen fell a horse at a blow. 

" Such was the costume of the Tlascalan warrior, and indeed of that great family of nations 
generally who occupied the plateau of Anahuac." 

Their weapons, however, even with their bravery, were no match for the military science of 
the Spaniards ; and after four terrible battles, preceded by a good deal of sharp skirmishing, 
the Tlaxcalans were defeated. After some politic dela)'s they were completely subdued and 
became the faithful allies of the Spanish. Had this not been effected, it is doubtful if Cortez's 
name would have descended as "the great conqueror," at least in Mexico. 

Tlaxcala City is the capital of the state, and dates far back of Cortez's arrival in the place, 




La Parroquia. 



152 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



where he fouoht and subdued them with such excellent effect. This historic town has now 
less than six thousand inhabitants, but the very air is alive with romance and tradition. Age, 
hoary and musty, is stamped everywhere, although the people are as wide awake and prosper- 
ous as could be required. There are many relics of Cortez's visit in the picturesque old 
town, among them a grant from Charles the Fifth, with his signature, and a silken flag which 
the great conqueror presented to the Tlaxcalans. The latter is in a fair state of preservation, 
and is handsomely embroidered in silk with a curious battle-scene between the Spaniards and 
Tlaxcalans. Then there are idols from neighboring mounds, the city charter from Philip II. in 
book form, bound in vellum and dated May lo, 1585, with the royal signature, baptismal robes 

of chiefs, and their ancient 




genealogical 



trees. 



In this city, too, which at the time of the 
conquest was compared fa\'Orably by Cortez 
with Granada, but which is now the mere 
shadow of its former self a half-deserted, 
decaying village, is found the most interest- 
ing- collection of Cortez relics in all Mexico. 
One sees here the banner which accompanied 
Cortez in his memorable march, the standard 
which Cortez presented to the Tlaxcalan 
chiefs who befriended him, portraits in oil of 
the latter, the robes which they wore at their 
baptism, the font in which they were baptized, 
and a silken embroidery on which is pictured 
the first battle between the Spaniards and 
Tlaxcalans ; and one can visit the house 
occupied by Cortez. 

Cortez declared in all his accounts that 

the city had then thirty thousand souls, and 

that it was larger than Granada, then the 

capital of Spain. But one feels it necessary 

to take this statement "with a grain of salt." 

The houses were built, for the most part, 

of mud or earth, the better sort of stone and 

lime, or of bricks dried in the sun. They were unprovided with doors or windows, but in the 

apertures for the former hung mats fringed with pieces of copper or something which by its 

tinkling sound would give notice of any one's entrance. 

The streets were narrow and dark. Cortez asserts that thirty thousand people were often 
gathered in the market on a public day. These meetings were fairs, held, in all great towns, 
every fifth day, and attended by the inhabitants of the adjacent country, who brought there 
for sale every description of domestic produce and manufacture with which they were ac- 
quainted. They peculiarly excelled in pottery, which was considered equal to the best in 
Europe. It is a further proof of civilized habits that the Spaniards found barbers' shops, and 
baths, both of vapor and of hot water, familiarly used by the inhabitants. A still higher proof 
of refinement may be discerned in the existence of a vigilant police which repressed every- 
thing like disorder. 



An Archway in Tlaxcala. 



TLAXCALA 



153 



The ancient capital, through one quarter of which llowed ihe rapid current of the Zahuatl, 
stretched along the summits and sides of hills at whose base are now gathered the remnant 
of its once flourishing population. Far beyond, to the southeast, extended the bold sierra of 
Tlaxcala, and the huge INIalinche, crowned with the usual siher diadem of the highest Andes, 
its shaggy sides clothed with dark-green forests of firs, gigantic sycamores, and oaks whose 
towering stems rose to the height of forty or fifty feet unencumbered b)' a branch. The clouds 
which sailed over from the distant Atlantic gathered around the lofty peaks of the sierra, and, 
settling into torrents, poured over the plains in the neighborhood of the city, converting them, 
at such seasons, into swamps. Thunder-storms, more frequent and terrible here than in other 
parts of the table-land, swept down the sides of the mountains and shook the frail tenements of 
the capital to their foundations. But, although the bleak winds of the sierra gave an austerity to 
the climate unlike the sunny skies and genial temperature of the lower regions, it was far more 
favorable to the develop- 
cal and the moral ener- 
peasantry was nurtured 
the hills, fit equall)' to 
peace and to defend it in 
child of Nature, who de- 
subsistence from her too 
sede the necessity of 
Tlaxcalan earned his 
ungrateful, it is true — by 
He led a life of temper- 
by his long wars with 
cial intercourse, he w^as 
tural labor, the occupa- 
purity of morals and 
stitution. His honest 
triotism, or local attach- 
is the fruit of its dilioent 
elevated by a proud 
pendence, the natural 
the mountains. Such, 
race with whom Cortez 
the achievement of his 




Sacred Well of Ocotlan. 



ment of both the physi- 
gies. A bold and hardy 
among the recesses of 
cultivate the land in 
war. Unlike the spoiled 
rives such facilities of 
prodigal hand as super- 
exertion on his part, the 
bread — from a soil not 
the sweat ot his brow, 
ance and toil. Cut off 
the Aztecs from cornmer- 
driven chiefly to agricul- 
tion most propitious to 
sinewy strength of con- 
breast glowed with pa- 
ment to the soil, which 
culture, while he was 
consciousness of inde- 
birthright of the child of 
says Prescott, was the 
was now associated for 
o^reat work. 



What of the Tlaxcala of to-day ? Situated in the centre of so beautiful a countr}', it has 
illimitable advantages. Tlaxcala has the oldest church in North America, with its cedar ceiling 
and beams brought from Spain, Cortez's church of San Francisco, constructed in 1521. In 
this church, too, is the pulpit from which the gospel was first preached in the New World. 
There is artistic wood-carving by Indian artists of power and taste in the church of Ocotlan, 
perched on a hill in the same city of Tlaxcala ; indeed, almost ever}' leading church of every 
considerable town has a treasure of some sort, a Murillo, an alleged Titian, or some other 
exhibit to interest the sight-seer. The pastor of the famous shrine of Ocotlan, Father Angelo 
Morales Rodriguez, gave a dinner October 18, 1895, at his home to the American bishops who 
had come to Mexico to celebrate the ceremony of the coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

The governor of Tlaxcala, who is a full-blooded native Indian, was unable to be present, 



154 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

but several disting-uished Indians were there, as well as prominent Mexicans. Tlaxcala is noted 
for the number of Indians who have entered the legal profession, and it was one of these, Mr. 
Francisco Zempoalteca, who made the speech of welcome in his native language. To a stranger 
the number of these educated and active native Indians is something of a surprise. 

The following is the address of welcome of the eloquent Tlaxcalan, with a faithful 
translation : 

" Feopixcatlahtoanime : pipiltsitzi : 

" In Altepetl Tlaxcalan ipan i nin cahuitl zencapaqui ihuan tlazohcamachilistica non mech mo zelilia i tlalpan, no 
raech mo ixpantilia in i mahuiso in i chan in i yolo. Zenca tic ilehuia non quimoyu zehlisque i nin icnomahiiisotl 
no mech mo neltoltilia in Motlacuitlahiiihcatiopixcatzintli Calixto del Refugio Orhelas i Tocaipan ihuan in zentetl 
Altepetl Tlaxcalan. Fehhuan tic mo tlatlahtilia in ilhuicae tonantzi zemihcae ichpochtli Ocotlan Chanehcatzintli ma 
no mech mo yec pili ica zentetl chicahualistl ica zentetl pahpaquilistli icpan non metsticsque icxitlantzinco huan 
tonahuae Za noihqui tic temachia ihcuae non qui mo cahuilisque in Mexihcahucyaltepetl huan mahxitisque non 
mo chantzinco, non huchca tlalpan campa o non hual mo hehuitihque, ze tlatlatlahtilistl non qui mo titlanilisque 
ixpantzinco in zenca huel neli Tzotl to paupa, huan yehhuatrin itech in i tlazohmahuistic Flamamanilitzi qui mo 
chihuilis ma mo zohzoa ic ahcopa ic tlani ic tonal i quizayan huan ic i calaquia in tlamclahca tlaneltoquilistli i huicpa 
zentetl zamanahuas ti mixmatisque ti monahuahtequisque huan ihcuacon i teoixpantzinco tic chihuasque san ze Flane- 
chicol huan ti caquisque san ze nemachtilistli tic piasque san ze Tlaneltoquilistli huan tic zelisque san ze necuatequilistli. 
Nehhuatl ica zentetl no yolo nic motlatlahtilia in Yehhuatzi ma nel quimi axean 6 no mech mo nechicalhuili tonahuse 
icxitlantzinco in to chipahuae mazehuahiantzi Malintzi Tecuapanope i nic o non qui motilico, quenin in to tlahtoh- 
cateopixcatzintli Pili Tcuetli Prospero Maria Alarcon o qui mo yeyantili ipan in i zenquisca tzontecontzi in neca ma- 
huistic cuaychual i nesca i machio in zentetl tlahtohcayotl ma ihcon tech mo nechicalhuiliti nochtin ompa i tlahtoca- 
chantzinco campazehmihcae pahpaquilo. 

"Ipanpa in i weltilis in to tlanequilis, ipanpa in i chicahualis in to tlahtohcatzi mahuistic tlacatzintli teotetahtzi 
Leon XIII. metstica ompa huci altepepan Roma, ipanpa in to tetlahpalohcatzitzi nican tech mahuizotia ma tic mahze- 
huacan in nin atzintli ma huel tepitzi xococ saman tzopelic huan tic hueliemati i zepan in to tetlasohtlacatzitzi. 

,,„ „ ^ , 0,0.. "Waneisco Zempoalteca. 

"Tlascala, Octubre 18 de 1S95. 

Translation. 
" Your Grace : 

"The people of Tlaxcala on this occasion are greatly honored by your presence in their midst, and cordially 
tender to you their sincere respects, the hospitality of their home, and the warmest affection of their hearts. 

"We wish exceedingly that you deign to accept this little present which Father Calixto del R. Orhelas, in his 
name, and also in the name of all the Tlaxcalteca people, present to you. We fervently pray that the Celestial Queen 
of Heaven, Our Lady of Ocotlan, may preserve your health and strength during your stay among us. 

" We hope also that when you leave our territory and return to your magnificent city, you will pray for us to 
the God of Truth, that our Holy Religion may be as widely propagated in the North as in the South, and in the West 
as well as in the East, so that we will all be members of the one only Church, we will hear only one teaching, and we 
will be all baptized in the one faith. With all my heart I pray to God, that as now we are all gathered together before 
our National Mother of Guadalupe to see His Grace Monsignor Prospero Maria Alarcon, Archbishop of Mexico, place 
the beautiful crown, which is the symbol of power, on the head of our Lady, so we may be all united in heaven before 
the throne of God. 

"That these earnest wishes may be fully realized ; that the life of the beloved and illustrious head of the Church, 
Leo XIII., may long be preserved ; and that our distinguished guests may return in safety to their respective homes, is 
the heart-felt prayer of all present. ' ' 

Tlaxcala abounds in interesting relics of ancient times. Among them are some very old 
portraits of the heroes of former days, a cloak which belonged to a noble Indian of that time 
who was the first to receive Christian baptism, and the wonderful standard which once belonged 
to Cortez. Then there are the city titles given by Philip II. of Spain, old plans and maps, and 
some genuine idols. The church of San Francisco was the first Catholic church erected in the 



TLAXCALA 



D3 



New World. Its architecture is very original inside and out, and dates from 1524. The pulpit 
has a very peculiar form and exquisite filigraned work full of gilt carvings ; and the sacred 
vestments, beautifully embroidered in silver and gold, were brought over from Spain and used 
in the first Roman Catholic service in this country. These vestments are shown to-day, with 
the first baptismal fountain. The sanctuary is 
dedicated to the miraculous virgin of Ocotlan, 
and is situated on the summit of a little hill 
close to the city. One curious thing about 
the temple is that one half of it is of an archi- 
tecture of several centuries ago, the walls 
being covered with the finest chiselled work- 
manship possible to imagine and richly gilt, 
while the other half is entirely of modern 
style, splendidly sculptured by modern artists. 
On the walls are hundreds of wax reproduc- 
tions of human limbs, left there by patients 
who have been miraculously cured of various 
diseases, and who celebrated these cures by 
giving the church these symbols. 

Around Tlaxcala the scenery is the 
grandest in Mexico. On one side, like two 
grim sentinels guarding the valley, stand the 
giant mountains Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl, 
at whose feet lies the valley of San Martin. 
On the opposite side lies the long low ridge 
of the Malinche, which the declining sun lights 
up with all the brightness of the tropical sun- 
set. Watching the varying shades of light 
playing tenderly around the top, one can 

readily understand whence came the soul of poetry that makes the beautiful Tlaxcalan legend 
of the Malinche the most poetical of all the Mexican legends ; and one can easily believe at 
such times the old legend that Tlaxcala was the garden of the great spirit of war, and that the 
sun-carpeted top of the Malinche was his home. 

Through this fruitful and enchanting valley will run a new railway that is shortly to prove 
a boon to the grain-growers of the valley. It will not only be an outlet for many rich proper- 
ties, and drain the most fertile valley in Mexico, but will be the most picturesque in the republic. 

Wherever the railroads have gone the Indians are beginning to forsake their native speech. 
In Tlaxcala one realizes that the Aztec is not yet a dead language. The governor of Tlaxcala, 
Prospero Cahuantzi, has done much to develop and perpetuate Indian traditions and institu- 
tions. He has published books to that end, and also an ancient Tlaxcalan record, which gives 
a curious history of the conquest told in pictures. 

Few people, perhaps none except scientists, know that In the heart of this ancient state is 
a race of pygmies. They are small of stature, with dark-brown skin, broad faces, and shocks 
of black tangled hair. They are very shy and wild-looking, and wear serapes made of coarse 
sacking. We naturally expected from what we had heard of them to find them hidden among 
the rocks in some rude shelter, living a precarious life from hand to mouth. W^hat we really 




The First Pulpit in 



156 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



found was this : fine clearings on the hill-slopes extending almost to the crest of the mountains, 
flourishing fields of grain, cattle grazing in the pastures, fowls and turkeys being fattened, and 
loo- houses of substantial construction surrounded by neat little enclosures and occupied by 
peaceful littie men and women. Clearing after clearing repeated this story of industry, thrift, 
and prosperity. 

Finally, our appearance in the market town caused quite a sensation. They crowded 
around us on all sides. Some gazed suspiciously from the outside, but others were quite 
friendly, and regarded us with childlike curiosity. They examined our saddles and our baggage 




Principal Street, Tlaxcala. 

with great interest, and even felt of our clothes ; but when we presented our letters from the 
governor and the good president they became our admiring servants. 

Up in that region, between Ajutla and Juquila, is a marvellous lake of clouds. A deep 
blue sky and the brilliant southern sun, without a suggestion of mist in the still air, make the 
place wonderful on a grand scale. Clad with foliage clear to the summit, the great ridge forms 
half of a mighty amphitheatre whose sides are furrowed by mountain torrents. Five distant 
mountains form the wall of an oval valley, with lower peaks running parallel. At one side 
a spur juts out, making the only notable break in the enclosing rim. The great lake seems to 
approach this edge like a mighty river and pour over the great precipice like a dozen Niagaras 
combined in one. It is a cloud-lake, mighty, mysterious, and noiseless, making one of the 
greatest wonders in the region of wonders. 



PUEBLA 



157 



CHAPTER XVIII 



PUEBLA 



^^^fc^LAXCALA is nearly surrounded by the fertile state of Puebla. The latter is 
m I bounded north and east by Vera Cruz, south by Oaxaca and Guerrero, and west 

^ 1 V ^y Mexico, Tlaxcala, and Hidalgo. The Cordillera of Anahuac crosses it and 
^^H^ gives rise to many small streams, but Puebla has no large rivers. The mountains 
form a water-shed, and the state is drained partly into the Gulf of Mexico and 
partly into the Paciiic. The average elevation is about six thousand feet, and the soil is gener- 
ally fertile. Silver, marble, and alabaster 
abound, and plentiful crops of grain, fruit, 
sugar, and cotton are raised. Many remark- 
able remains are found of ancient Mexican 
civilization. 

The city of Puebla, capital of the state, 
was founded soon after the Spanish conquest, 
the soldiers of Cortez laying it out six miles 
from the ancient sacred city of Mexico,—- 
Cholula. The Puebla of to-day is a finely 
laid-out city with handsome squares. The 
city contains o\er sixty churches, twenty-one 
collegiate or theological schools, charity 
schools, hospitals, and other benevolent in- 
stitutions. Some of the handsomely orna- 
mented churches were injured in the French 
siege of 1863, when the city withstood Gen- 
eral Forey and his French army during a 
sieee of two months. 

Within sight of Puebla are Popocatepetl, 
twenty-five miles away, Ixtaccihuatl, thirty 
miles northwest, Malinche, twenty miles 
northeast, and Orizaba, sixt)' miles east. 
The climate is delio-htfullv mild and agreeable, 
and the countr)' all around exceedingly fertile. 
Seen at sunrise from Puebla, the view of the 

great volcano is unrivalled. The clouds roll away as a curtain is drawn from a high altar. 
The snowy top and sides appear shining in the sun like a grand dome of pure alabaster. 
One thinks of Sinai : of Moses on the mount when the glory of the Lord was revealed ; of the 




SeSor General Don Mucio P. Martinez, 

Governor of Puebla. 



158 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



mountain of the Transfiguration ; and then the sun rising higher and higher from the radiant 
brow of Popocatepetl sheds its glory on all below, and ushers in another day of Mexican 
sunshine. 

Orizaba, which forms a boundary between the departments of Puebla and Vera Cruz, is 
said to be the most beautiful of mountains on a near approach, as it is the most magnificent at 
a distance ; for, while its summit is crowned with snow, its central part is girded by thick forests 
of cedar and pine, and its base is adorned with woods and sloping fields covered with flocks, 
and dotted with white ranches and small scattered villages, forming the most agreeable and 
varied landscape imaginable. Ixtaccihuatl means white woman ; Popocatepetl, the mountain that 

throws out smoke. They are thus cele- 
brated by the poet Heredia : 

Nieve eternal corona las cabezas 
De Iztaccihuatl purisimo, Orizaba 

Y Popocatepec : sin que el invierno 
Toque jamas con destructiva mano 
Los campos fertilisimos do ledo 
Los mira el indio en purpura ligera 

Y oro tenirse, reflejando el brillo 
Del sol en occidente, que sereno 
En hielo eterno y perennal verdura 
A torrentes vertio su luz dorada, 

Y vio a naturaleza, conmovida 
Con su dulce calor, hervir en vida. 

Translation. 

Eternal snow crowns the majestic heads 
Of Orizaba, Popocatepetl, 
And of Ixtaccihuatl the most pure. 
Never does winter with destructive hand 
Lay waste the fertile fields where from afar 
The Indian views them bathed in purple light 
And dyed in gold, reflecting the last rays 
Of the bright sun, which, sinking in the west, 
Poured forth his flood of golden light, serene 
'Midst ice eternal, and perennial green, 
Senor Licexciado Don Agustin Fernandez, And saw all nature warming into life, 

Secretary of State, Puebla. Moved by the gentle radiance of his fires. 




As you approach the city of Puebla, there are farms of considerable extent on both sides 
of the road. The grains chiefly cultivated are wheat, barley, and Indian corn. The wheat is 
used for bread by the better classes, and I have never- seen better bread anywhere. The Indian 
corn is used chiefly, I believe entirely, by the Mexicans in making tortillas. The tortilla is the 
bread of the great mass of the people. The grain is softened by soaking it in water ; it is then 
eround on a smooth stone, with a long- roller made also of stone, and after mixing the due 
proportion, which is always a very large proportion, of chile and some wine, it is spread out in a 
thin layer and cooked as negroes do the hoe-cake. 

Puebla is a beautiful city, with lofty houses built in the purest style of architecture, and 
broad and remarkably clean streets. The cathedral of Puebla is a magnificent edifice, which has 
been said, though hardly with justice, to rival the cathedral in Mexico. 



PUERLA 



159 



The cathedral is noble and inspiring. It is said that the rapid progress of building was 
owing to the assistance of two angels, who nightl)' descended and added to its height, so 
that each morning the astonished workmen found their labor incredibly advanced. It is 
not so large as the cathedral of Rle.xico, but it is elegant, simple, and in excellent taste. 
Sixteen columns of exquisite marble, adorned with silver and gold, form the tabernacle 
(in Mexico called cl Cipres). This nati\e marble, called Puebla marble, is brought from the 
quarries of Totimehuacan and Tecali, respectively at two and seven leagues from the city. 
Everything there is interesting or historic ; of especial interest are the tombs where the 




Interior of Cathedral in Puebla. 

bishops are buried, and a vault in which lies a martyr, whose body, enclosed in wax and 
loaded with paste emeralds and diamonds, is supposed to have been miraculously preserved 
for centuries. 

The towers are three hundred feet high, and it would scarcely be possible to find a more 
beautiful buildinof in Mexico. 

The cathedral, with its floor of colored marbles, its rich and artistically attractive high 
altar of different varieties of Puebla onyx, and the beautiful iron w^ork and wood carving about 
the choir, boasts an interior which equals that of the cathedral of Toledo, of Burgos, of Leon, 
or of any other town in Spain. The music at Puebla is good. An organ, a piano, a violon- 
cello, and other stringed instruments, and men and boys in vestments, combine with excellent 
results. 

There are three theatres in Puebla, the Guerrero, the Principal, and the Casino. The 
Guerrero theatre was built in 186S, and stands on the site of the old cit\' prison. The interior 



i6o 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



is built entirely of wood taken from an old bull-ring, and has a capacity of about fifteen hundred 
people. It is owned by the city, and has been greatly improved with modern scenery and 
stage fittings. This theatre attracts the attention of all visitors on account of its beauty of pro- 
portion and its artistic decorations. The 
prevailing colors are white and gold, while 
the interior of the boxes and the galleries 
are finished in deep red. 

It is thought that the " Teatro Princi- 
pal" of Puebla is the oldest theatre on the 
western continent. It was inaugurated in 
1 790, by the Viceroy Ahumada. It used to 
be known as the " Teatro de los Arrieros," 
being the favorite amusement place of the 
arrieros, or mule-drivers. To-day, how- 
ever, it is patronized by the best classes 
of society. It is unusually interesting on 
account of its old Spanish architecture, with 
solid masonry boxes and galleries. If, as 
is asserted, this really is the first theatre 
built in the New World, it should be of 
more than local interest. 

The Casino was, built as a private 
theatre for a local society, but has now 
passed into the hands of the Administrador 
del Timbre, who leases it to travelling 
companies. 

There is also a bull-ring in Puebla, 

with seats for three thousand people. It is 

an uncommonly large ring, but for that 

reason is not popular with bull-fighters. 

Another place of popular amusements is 

the Puebla athletic grounds, or " Velodromo," from which there is a very fine view. It may be 

of interest to state that Puebla has a playwright of considerable reputation, Francisco Neve, 

whose "La Llorona" is a very fine tragedy. 

Puebla, the " City of Angels," with its hundred domes and spires gleaming in the sun, 
makes the same impression upon the traveller of to-day as ancient Cholula, the " City of 
the Gods," made upon Cortez and his army when they entered it in the course of their march 
against the kingdom of the Montezumas ; that is, Puebla, which is only six miles from 
Cholula, is in some ways the representative of the older city. The tradition goes that the 
ancient Aztecs used to see the sun-lit forms of angels and fair spirits hovering over the 
sacred city of Cholula. These, they believed, were reinforced by hosts of guardian spirits 
behind the fleecy clouds, placed there by the gods to watch over the sacred city which 
they loved so well. When the ancient city had fallen into decay, and Puebla began its 
growth, the good people believed that the spot for the " City of the Angels" was indi- 
cated to them by these spirits of the air, and that while they slept these angels spread 
protecting wings over it. It is certainly a pretty idea this, that the spirits deserted the shat- 




Cathedral of Puebla. 



PUEBLA 



i6i 



tered idols and ruins of Cholula to raise up a new city unto a new faith. Cholula of old 
was the Aztec city of churches and shrines ; Puebla of to-day is the great Christian city of 
modern Mexico. 

As of old, too, when the people of ancient Cholula were further ad\'anced in the arts and 
sciences than those around them, so to-day the people of Puebla have made their city in many 
respects the most beautiful in the land. It is a model of cleanliness and good taste ; while the 
people unite the push and thrift and ingenuity of their Indian ancestors with the ambitions and 
demands of modern enterprise. 

In Puebla one appreciates the real beauty of the climate. The houses are bright and 
cheerful, the streets are beautiful, and the city has the best system of sewerage in the republic. 




Panorama of Puebla. 



The common people are gifted with imagination, which throws a halo of romance over all their 
lives. Surrounded as they are by magnificent scenery, the spirit of poetry is developed even 
among the poorest of them. Among these neglected descendants of mighty nations one comes 
across legends older than the dead races, yet perfecdy poetic in thought, form, and language. 
In travelling through Mexico, not according to guide-books, but off the beaten tracks and among 
the middle classes, one comes to realize a spirit that the modern tourist knows not of and finds 
that the Mexican people have plenty of poetry in their souls. 

There are persons who can witness the view from Cholula or the light of the setting sun on 
the Malinche without the slightest stir of emotion in their souls. These are not the ones, 
however, to know and feel the romance and poetry of the common people in Mexico. 

The tradition of Ouetzalcoad and his life up among these great purple sun-lit hills is 



1 62 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 




A Country Road in Puebla, showing Popocatepetl. 



a most beautiful story. Never 
was there a more tender spirit 
than Ouetzalcoatl, who loved all 
livine creatures and could not 
bear that any should suffer or 
live in sin and igfnorance. But, 
alas, the people, while they loved 
the "fair o-od," feared the other 
powerful gods who were devoted 
to bloodshed and battle. They 
built temples to the latter and 
daily offered human sacrifices to 
the gods of war on these altars. 
This orrovellinor fear filled the 

o o 

ofreat heart of Ouetzalcoatl with 
pity and deep sorrow, and so he 
left his beautiful, peaceful home 
to teach these people, with a 
wonderful eloquence, the gospel 
of love and charity. Such was 

his influence that at last they deserted the altars of the cruel gods, and instead of offering 

human holocausts, whose quivering hearts had burned upon the sacred fires, they climbed the 

hills to lay upon the altar of Ouetzalcoatl heaps of flowers and fruits ; and war ceased and 

prosperity reigned. 

But the cruel gods, so the tradition runs, when they found that the people had deserted 

them, combined against this beneficent spirit of the air. One bright spring day they came 

down in a body and drove Ouetzalcoatl out from among the people into the great plains, 

where he wandered many days 

over the hot, sun-parched sands. 

At last he lay down on the burn- 
ing waste, flushed with fever and 

perishing with a terrible thirst, 

seemingly deserted of gods and 

men. But hither came the spirits 

of the air which so long had 

hovered over Cholula, and now 

descended to his relief 

Lifting him from the earth, 

they gave him to drink a won- 
drous liquid like the wine of the 

gods ; then they led him to a 

great maguey plant, whose fresh 

green leaves laughed at" the 

dust and the sand and the heat. 

One of them made a hole in 

the trunk where the great leaves Penitentiary of Puebla. 




PUEBLA 



163 



branch out, and inserted a long reed. Through this he sucked up the sap of the plant and 
emptied it into a gourd, which he gave to Ouetzalcoatl, who drank until he forgot the desert and 
the burning sun, and lay down to sleep. When he awoke it was night and the spirits had left 
him ; but he arose and continued his journey. Here and there were scattered the great maguey 
plants, and when he grew tired or faint he slept under their green leaves, and drank from their 
hidden sources whenever he became thirsty. 

And so he wandered for months until he came to the little \'illage of Cholula. The people 
received him kindly, and he began teaching them much that was civilizing and uplifting. He 
taught them to build stone houses, to cultivate the land, to work beautiful designs in gold and 
silver and feather work, to weave the fibres of maguey into cloth, and to write their histories on 




Cholula Pyramid. 



the leaves of the maguey. He made them understand that the greatest gift of the gods to man 
was the ability to work with intelligence and steady application ; and he changed them from 
wandering savages into a people with a steady habitation and a city of their own. And then 
he imparted the secret of the maguey plant, and gave to the people of ancient Cholula the 
first knowledge of their favorite pulque. 

After he had been with them for years, and had made them an intelligent people, he felt 
that he must return to his native land, far away. Toward sunset he ascended a litde hill that 
stood alone on the plains and bade them farewell. As he stood against the rays of the declining 
sun, his face lit up with strength and purpose, the multitude of people below, looking upon the 
glory of his godlike head, realized for the first time that it was a god who had lived and worked 
among them. When he had finished his loving words of farewell, a wonderful spirit of peace 



1 64 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



descended upon the people, and they followed him a long distance across the plains and up 
the mountains. Only at the very top did he turn again toward them and spread out his hands 
in blessing. Then he turned and disappeared. 

Then the people returned to Cholula and began the construction of the great pyramid in 
memory of Quetzalcoatl. On the top of it they built the temple of Cholula, and dedicated it to 
the worship of the "fair god." For generations they toiled and builded, until more than a 
century afterward the pyramid was completed, standing bold and distinct on the dust-blown 
plain, the everlasting token of a nation's faith. They believed, these people, that this pyramid 




La Maternidad, in Puebi.a. 



would stand until Quetzalcoatl should come back to them. And there it stands to-day, almost 
as indestructible as time itself. 

The view from the top of the great pyramid toward evening is almost beyond description. 
With the softened light of the setting sun upon the plains and the hills, one can easily under- 
stand why it was that the gods and the angels loved this region, and why the great heart of 
Quetzalcoatl wept when he bade farewell to it. Back from the soft, tender light in the valleys 
the great mountains stretch up bold and distinct against a background of the palest aerial blue, 
that contrasts wonderfully with the varying lights on the mountain-side. Towering over all 
stand Orizaba, Popocatepetl, and Ixtaccihuatl, each in the whitest of snow-caps, while just below 
stretches the Malinche. 

Cholula probably numbers now some five thousand people. But there is no doubt that at 
the time of the conquest it was one of the largest towns in Mexico. 

The perpendicular height of the pyramid is one hundred and seventy-seven feet. Its base 



PUEBLA 



165 



is one thousand four hundred and twenty-diree feet loner, — twice as lono- as that of the grreat 
pyramid of Cheops. It may give some idea of its dimensions to state that its base, which 
is square, covers about forty-four acres, and the platform on its truncated summit embraces 
more than one acre. It reminds us of those colossal monuments of brickwork which are still 
seen in ruins on the banks of the Euphrates and, in much higher preservation, on those of 
the Nile. 

" Nothing could be more grand," says Prescott, " than the view which met the eye from the 
area on the truncated summit of the pyramid. Toward the west stretched that bold barrier of 




ZOCALO OF PUEBLA. 



porphyritic rock which nature had reared around the valley of Mexico, with the huge Popocate- 
petl and Ixtaccihuatl standing like two colossal sentinels to guard the entrance to the enchanted 
region. Far away to the east was seen the conical head of Orizaba soaring high into the 
clouds, and nearer, the barren though beautifully-shaped Sierra de la Malinche, throwing its 
broad shadows over the plains of Tlascala. Three of these are volcanoes, higher than the 
highest mountain peak in Europe, and shrouded in snows which never melt under the fierce 
sun of the tropics. At the foot of the spectator lay the sacred city of Cholula, with its bright 
towers and pinnacles sparkling in the sun, reposing amidst gardens and verdant groves, which 
then thickly studded the cultivated environs of the capital. Such was the magnificent prospect 
which met the gaze of the conquerors, and may still, with slight change, meet that of the 
modern traveller, as from the platform of the great pyramid his eye wanders over the fairest 
portion of the beautiful plateau of Puebla." 

This great temple was afterward purified by Cortez's orders, and tlie standard of the cross 



i66 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



solemnly planted in its midst. From this pyramid, it is interesting to know, Baron Humboldt 
made many of his valuable astronomical calculations early in the present century. 

The church now standing there is dedicated to the Virgin de los Remedios. The popular 
tradition among the native Indians is that the pyramid was erected by a family of giants who 
had escaped inundation, and intended to raise it into the clouds had not the gods become angry 
and sent down fire from heaven to stop them where it is truncated. 

Cholula was the scene of a oreat massacre during- the time of Cortez, and his otherwise 
wonderful character suffers a deep stain from the terrible slaughter which he instituted here, 
although it must be remembered that he was in the midst of a powerful, warlike, and hostile 
people, and accompanied by only five hundred of his own warriors. According to Bernal Diaz, 




Scene in Puebla. 



he was obliged to resort to this massacre to save himself and his army. The old Spanish 
chronicler says that Montezuma had arranged that twenty thousand Indians should attack the 
Spaniards, capture them, and deliver them to death by torture. 

But what a land of romance ! How can busy nineteenth-century people realize that in 
1 5 19 such things were making Mexican history, and that even then the wonderful pyramid 
dated far back of legend or tradition ? 

Without exaggeration, and from an unbiassed view, it is easy to see that few localities in 
tropical Mexico equal the privileged section of northern Puebla. Here nature has lavished its 
profuseness ungrudgingly, and for the man of energy, industry, and capital to locate here means 
success and prosperity. The natural products are many and diversified. This is the home of 
the rubber, chicle, or chewing-gum tree, orange, lemon, lime, allspice, vanilla vine, and ginger, 



r 



FUEBLA 167 

jalapa, and sarsaparilla roots. Among the building- woods cedar, jobo, ceiba, or siliv-cotton tree, 
chaca, quiebra-hacha, romerillo, palo de gato, chijol, jaoxin, pipin, ojite, and tlacuilo are found in 
quantities. The fine woods suitable for furniture, existing mostly in the unexplored forests, are 
cedar, mahogany, rosewood, ebony, caobilla, and chico zapote ; there are also se\eral dye woods 
and plants, logwood, fustic, dragon's blood, and a species of wild indigo. Various fibres, such 
as pinada, pita [Bromclia sylvesti-is), ixtle [Ao^ave heterocantha), and mala mujer, a gigantic 
species of nettle, also higuerilla (castor-oil plant), zacatona, fibrous grass root largely used by 
the Mexicans for the manufacture of brooms and brushes, and the guava, the fruit ol which 
Ijifcproduces the finest kind of jelly, abound amidst forest, meadow, and hill. Several gum trees 
exist, among which copal and liquidambar may be mentioned. There is also plenty ot wild 
game, including the jabali (a wild boar), cojolite (a wild turkey), chacalaca (a wild hen), deer, 
parrot, quail, heron, crocodile, and rabbit ; likewise large quantities of fish of various kinds 
are found in the limpid streams. Along the western section there are long stretches ot natural 
grass, well adapted for pasture, and the products of stock-raising here would bring very satis- 
factory returns. Sheep- and hog-breeding can be recommended also, as the high prices of wool 
and lard and the great demand for mutton and pork in the plateaux of Hidalgo, Puebla, and 
Vera Cruz would insure a good income. 

The cultivated products of the district are coffee, corn, beans, rice, peas, sugar-cane, tobacco, 
cotton, starch plant, vanilla, pineapple, banana, and rubber. Corn yields here tour hundred 
bushels for one ; cane produces without irrigation, in a plot six by six metres square, twenty- 
five pounds of sugar each year, for eight or ten years, at a cost of one dollar a hundred pounds, 
and without the use of modern appliances ; the product of beans and rice is sixty to eighty for 
one ; tobacco yields more than two thousand pounds to the hectare ; a rubber plantation of two 
hundred trees to the hectare produces two and a half to three pounds per tree when six years 
old ; and the coffee-tree, three or four years from transplanting, gives to the industrious planter 
as a reward for his care and work one and a quarter to two pounds of merchantable coffee. 

There is a good future for the successful growth of the coffee and rubber plants. June, 
July, and August are wet months, but September and October are fine, with occasional shoAvers. 
In November, December, January, and February there are frequent rains from the north ; still, 
they occur more often from the middle of December to the end of January. There is usually 
fine weather in March ; April and May are the two hottest months. Likewise, the district is 
well watered by streams. The Pantepec River, carrying a large body of water (about four or 
five feet in depth and twenty-five to thirty yards across in the dry season), runs through the 
middle of the district in a north and northeasterly direction and empties into the Tuxpan River, 
which is navigable for thirty-five or forty miles. Flat-bottomed boats have been floated down 
the Pantepec during the rainy season ; and by the outlay of a little effort and expense low- 
draught boats of any kind might ply between the port of Tuxpan and this well-favored district 
at all seasons of the year. Besides the large Colotla and Beltran streams, several smaller ones 
add to the moisture of the district. 

Fruit-growing, especially oranges, lemons, bananas, pineapples, and mangoes, would prove 
one of the most profitable occupations. Bee-culture in connection with vanilla would also be 
a source of wealth. 

The district of Aztlan lies at the base of the Sierra Madre range in the state of Puebla, and 
comprises the extreme north end of the rich and fertile county of Huauchinango. It forms a 
pordon of the famous " Huasteca Veracruzana," and is located at a distance of eighty miles 
southwest of the port of Tuxpan, and one hundred and forty miles northeast of Mexico City. 



1 68 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



The district takes in an area of over one iiundred and sixty square miles of the most excellent 
lands of tropical Huauchinango. 

The towns of Pantepec, Mecapalapa, Ixthuatlan, San Pedro Petocotla, Coapetatlan, and 
several ranches supply the district with necessary labor. There is now a considerable English- 
speaking population in the district. 

The soil is a rich dark loam of a vegetable nature, invariably having a porous subsoil of 
considerable depth, finely adapted to the cultivation of coffee, rubber, vanilla, tobacco, and 
sugar-cane, and capable of yielding prolific crops of semi-tropical and tropical products. 

The temperature in summer, although hot in the daytime, is cool and pleasant in the" even- 
ings and mornings. The winter months are generally delightful. 

Four-fifths of the lands are undulating slopes abounding with fine forests and inviting 
streams ; the remaining one-fifth consists of well-drained plains covered with perennial grass. 




Street in Puebla. 



Every square foot of this country is tillable except along the river-beds. Every section of 
these lands is of easy access. More than one road connects the district with the outside 
world. There is a wagon-road from Tuxpan that taps the north end of it, and two good mule- 
roads connect it with the county seat, Huauchinango, which communicates with Tulancingo, 
the present eastern terminus of the Hidalgo Railroad, by an easy-riding stage-road. By slow 
walking, the distance from Tuxpan can be made in forty-eight hours, and by moderate driving 
or riding in the dry season, in from twelve to fourteen hours. The Ward Line steamers call 
at Tuxpan from Vera Cruz or Tampico every week, and the Mexican mail boats once every 
ten days. The distance from Mexico City can be travelled in two and one-half days. 



PUEBLA 



169 



There are many charming places in the state of Puebla. AtHsco is a large town, with a 
high mountain behind it crowned by a white chapel, and with a magnificent church at the base ; 
the whole city is full of fine churches and convents, with a plaza and many good houses. Here, 
too, is the famous cypress mentioned by Humboldt, which is seventy-three feet in circumference. 

This valley of Atlisco, as, indeed, the whole department of Puebla, is noted for its fertility 
and its abundant crops of maguey, wheat, maize, frijoles, garbanzos, barley, and other vegeta- 
bles, as well as for the fineness of its fruit. There is a Spanish proverb which says, " If you go 
to live ip the Indias, let it be within sight of the volcanoes," for it appears that all the lands 
surrounding the different volcanoes are fertile and enjoy a pleasant climate. The great Cor- 
dillera of Anahuac crosses this territory, and among its peaks are the mountain of the Ma- 




IXTACCIHUATL. 



linche, Ixtaccihuatl, Popocatepetl, and the Peak of Orizaba. The Malinche, a corruption by the 
Spaniards of the Indian name Malintzin, signifying Dona Maria or Marina, is supposed to be 
called after Cortez's Indian Eo;eria, the first Christian woman of the Mexican empire. 

Though given to Cortez by the Tabascan Indians, it seems clear that she was of noble 
birth, and that her father was the lord of many cities. It is pretended that she fell into a 
tributary situation through the treachery of her mother, who remarried after the death of her 
first husband, and who, bestowing all her affection on the son born of this second marriage, 
determined, in concert with her husband, that all their wealth should pass to him. It happened, 
in furtherance of their views, that the daughter of one of their slaves died, upon which they 
gave out that they had lost their own daughter, affected to mourn for her, and at the same time 
privately sold her, after the fashion of Joseph's brethren, to some merchants of Gicalanco, who 



I/O 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



in turn disposed of lier to their neighbors the Tabascans, who presented her to Cortez. Tliat she 
was beautiful and of great talent, versed in different Indian dialects, the devoted friend of the 
Spaniards, and served as tlieir interpreter in their negotiations with the various Indian tribes, 
there seems no doubt. She accompanied Cortez in all his expeditions. He followed her 
advice ; and in the whole history of the conquest Dona Marina (the name given to the beautiful 
slave at her Christian baptism) played an important part. Her son, Martin Cortez, a knight 
of the order of Santiago, was put to the torture in the time of Philip the Second on some 
unfounded suspicion of rebellion. It is said that when Cortez, accompanied by Dona Marina, 
Avent to Honduras, she met her guilty relatives, who, bathed in tears, threw themselves at her 
feet, fearful lest she mio-ht avenge herself for their cruel treatment, but that she calmed their 




Scene near Puebla, State of Puebla. 



fears and received them with much kindness. The name of her birthplace was Painala, a 
village in the province of Coatzacoalcos. After the conquest she was married to a Spaniard, 
Juan de Jaramillo. 

Quite important are the Metlaltoyuca colonization lands, which lie along the gulf slope on 
the Mesa de los Coroneles, a beautiful table-land nestling amongf the foot-hills toward the Gulf 
of Mexico. The journey there from Mexico City is most interesting, leading across deep 
chasms and beautiful valleys. Sometimes the road clings to the shoulder of the great moun- 
tain, with deep-mouthed chasms below and rough overhanging crags ; sometimes it rushes 
suddenly into a lovely valley carpeted with Mexican flowers or gay with ruby coffee or tasselled 
corn. Wide fields of grain and coffee spread for miles along the sides of the road leading to 
the colony lands. Here and there are great forests with cedar, mahogany, ebony, rosewood, 



PUEBLA 



171 



and rubber trees, and interlaced with rich tropical foliage and clinging parasites. Bright-winged 
birds and orchids of wonderful color light up the recesses of the forest, and groves of luscious 
oranges and lemons perfume the air. Shordy before the road reaches the outskirts of the 
Metlaltoyuca lands it crosses the Pantepec River, swiftly making its way to the gulf The 
crystal waters reveal a pebbly bottom about sixty feet wide ; and the entire stream forms one 
of the most beautiful rivers in Mexico. 

On the outskirts of the Metlaltoyuca lands are some intensely interesting ruins, which offer 
a new field to the student of archeology. These are immense stone mounds, evidently built in 
a past so dim as to be beyond human record. In fact, tremendous forest-trees are deeply 
rooted in the ruins, showing that thousands of years may have elapsed since they were aban- 
doned by a once mighty people. One wall, still in good preservation, bears witness to wonder- 
ful architecture and mechanical ability, as the stones hang together by the remarkable cement 
employed in those bygone times. Learned scientists have examined these ruins, and decided 




Portal de Flores, Puebla. 



them to be probably coeval with Egyptian if not Phoenician times. A curious thing is the 
fact that Indians may be seen even to-day offering worship around these mounds to their 
idols, and in some unfrequented spots may be found a little shrine to the Virgin Mary side by 
side with a hideous Aztec idol. 

The prospects of this colony — American, by the way — are very bright. Extensive fields 
of grain may be seen here, the warm, moist climate being particularly well adapted to the 
raising of cereals. Coffee and rubber are also wonderfully productive, while the place is 
unusually healthy. Nature has been lavish in gifts to this region ; the climate is delicious, the 
thermometer seldom going above ninety in the daytime, while double blankets are needed at 
night. The houses are of bamboo, comfortable and cool, although there is plenty of stone for 
more substantial buildings. Some of the houses have rosewood floors, and lovely gardens help to 
make the region home-like and pleasant. There is a spirit of association and friendship through- 
out the place, and in the centre of the colony is a small village of about three hundred inhabitants. 



172 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

The raising of sugar-cane on Puebla plantations also offers great opportunities to the 
planters. Already some plantations turn out a sugar crop valued at one hundred thousand 
dollars per annum in refined white sugar. Of course, however, these plantations are equipped 
with modern machinery. Great profit is made also on the muscovado, or unrefined sugar. 
The Mexican cane is much richer than that of Cuba or Louisiana. Eighteen sugar refineries 
have been established in the following districts : six in Atlisco, six in Matamoras, two in Chiatla, 
and four in Tehuacan. There are many flour-mills, and eighteen cotton and wool factories. 
Thus it will be seen that the state of Puebla is full of the present-day enterprise. 

Industry is animated in various branches and is being actively developed, particularly the 
textile manufactures ; since the products of the numerous and well-equipped mills for weaving 
and spinning cotton and wool, scattered through the state, rival the foreign products, and are 
worthy of attention through their variety and excellence. 

Commerce is very active, involving in its processes a value of fourteen million dollars, 
and the culmination of its operations is guaranteed by the complete abolition of duties, since 
there are no more domestic custom-houses. Merchandise circulates freely through the state, 
and the industrial establishments and mercantile houses are subject only to the payment of 
taxes, which has been advantageously substituted for the odious system of excise. 

There are good hotels ; the Jardin, in Puebla, is especially fine. The noted sulphur baths 
are in the suburbs. They are thronged with visitors from all parts of Mexico, who bathe in 
their health-g-iving waters. 

It is in this city that we find the exquisite onyx carved and painted in the most artistic 
manner. The mines are situated in this state. Puebla is the "Lowell" of Mexico; the prin- 
cipal cotton factories are located here, all in successful operation. 

The state of Puebla is noted for its system of public instruction. I have never seen finer 
schools in any country than those in the city of Puebla, where the German system of instruction 
is employed. To their democratic governor. General Mucio P. Martinez, Puebla owes one of 
its most important reforms, — the new law of elementary instruction, the wise provisions of which 
are perfecting primary education and elevating higher instruction to a plane commensurate with 
the latest achievements of science and the greatest educational attainments of the century. 
The result of this system of education will inevitably make the state of Puebla an invincible 
stronghold of liberty. 

General Martinez was one of the ablest generals of the French war. His popularity has 
been proved by his having already served two terms as governor of the state, and under his 
enterprising and progressive administration Puebla has been raised to the rank of the second 
city in importance in the republic. Licenciado Agustin Fernandez, the Secretary of State, is an 
important factor in this administration. He is a man of great ability. The total number of 
inhabitants in the state is nine hundred and sixty-nine thousand one hundred and forty-three. 



OAXACA 



17: 



CHAPTER XIX 



OAXACA 



n 



^' 



HE STATE OF PATRIOTS" is the name by which Oaxaca is known to the 
hearts of those who love this beautiful part of Mexico. Pastoral scenes, stu- 
pendous mountains, riven canons, swift dashing rivers, magnificent views, tropical 
foliage, and a range of temperature that rises from cool and bracing to hot and 
stifling, and settles back over the gradients again ; a people not too much 
changed by contact with railroad civilization, which has disturbed their ancient repose but a few 
years ; a city quaint and charming ; ruins of races 
that vanished and left little behind, and an in- 
sight into the industry of coffee-raising that is 
attractive to the practical mind, are a few of the 
attractions of this wonderful state. 

Everybody knows the influence which Oa- 
xaca has exerted throughout the republic under 
the name of Diaz ; just as great was that of 
Juarez, the inflexible native president, who led 
the resistance to Europe at the head of an army 
of patriots from Oaxaca and conquered in the 
struggle. From this state also came Senor 
Ignacio Mariscal, secretary of state, besides many 
others who have risen to prominent public posi- 
tions throughout the countr)^ so distinguished 
is Oaxaca for her talented scholars, her able 
financiers, her brave soldiers, and her wise 
politicians. 

The hospitality of Oaxacans is well known. 
It is sufficient even now to knock at any door in 
that charming state to have it opened with offers 
of shelter, food, and friendliness, and all without 
money and without price. Until within a few 
years inns and hotels were unknown, the hospi- 
tality among the private houses doing away with 
the need of such accommodations. The friend- 
ship and affection of the Oaxacans for one another are proverbial. Social reunions are con- 
stantly held, and there is much gayety and light-heartedness in consequence. 

From its geographical position, geological formation, fuel and water, means of communi- 




Senor General Don Martin Gonzalez, 

Governor of Oaxaca. 



174 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



cation, and climate, the state of Oaxaca is a veritable paradise for the prospector and capitalist 
seeking investment in mining properties. Two vast mountain ranges traverse the state from 
north to south, whose peaks in many cases rise to an altitude of from ten to twelve thousand 
feet. 

These mountain ranges, which are the culmination of the Rocky Mountains of the United 
States and the Sierra Madre of Southern Mexico, are highly mineralized throughout their length 
and breadth, the veins in some portions breaking through chlorite or argillaceous, and in others 
through a formation carrying gangue quartz or spar, with here and there a tremendous dike of 
igneous rock. 

The principal metals found in these veins are gold, silver, copper, lead, and iron, either free 
or in various combinations with one another. The veins carrying free gold are those most exten- 
sively worked, and, although comparatively few mines have been opened up, those that have 
been are producing large quantities of exceedingly rich mineral. The Indians are working out 
the gold by hand in many districts, and are bringing into the city of Oaxaca monthly hundreds 
of ounces for sale. Gold in combination with other metals cannot be extracted by these Indians, 
and, as they are the only prospectors in the country, little attention is paid to copjDer, lead, 
and iron, and some classes of silver ores. A few small companies are working silver proper- 
ties, the mineral from which, however, carries a fair percentage of gold, and the larger part of 
the ore from these properties is being shipped to Monterey smelters, a distance of eight hun- 
dred miles, or to Europe, for treatment. The whole state is practically an unexplored field, 

only a few districts having been superficially prospected. 
Within a few years we may expect to see Oaxaca one of 
the first metal-producing districts of the republic. 

There are already located in the city of Oaxaca two 
agencies representing large ore-purchasing companies, which 
are taxed to their utmost capacity in sampling, assaying, 
and shipping. The finest Mexican onyx also comes from 
this state. 

Oaxaca is a maritime state, lying between the Pacific 
Ocean and the states of Puebla and Vera Cruz, and, with 
Chiapas, extends farther south than any other in Mexico. 
Oaxaca has an area of twenty-seven thousand three hun- 
dred and eighty-nine square miles, with a fast increasing 
population. The great chain of the Mexican Andes crosses 
the state, giving it some of the most magnificent scenery in 
the entire republic. The mountains are divided into chains 
and ridges that give a surprisingly picturesque and beautiful 
variety to the country. The most remarkable summit is 
that of Zempoaltepec, in the district of Villalta, which rises 
to an elevation of ten thousand five hundred and forty-two 
feet, and from the top of which may be had magnificent views of the entire state, with broad 
glimpses of both the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. Other important peaks are the sierra of 
San Juan de Ozolotepec ; Chicahaustla, in Teposcolula ; Colcoyan, in Hanjanpam ; Jilotepec, 
in Tlacolula ; and Mijes, in Ouetzaltepec. The three principal rivers are the Ouiotepec, which 
rises north of Oaxaca City and, uniting with the Cosamaloapam, runs a course of one hundred 
and twenty miles ; the Villalta, descending from the Zempoaltepec and emptying into the Pacific, 




A Beauty of Tehuantepec. 




' -^--■i'r- ^„^3^aRt-.i^^*sm 



The Big Tree at Tula. 



176 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

after running its course of one hundred miles ; and the Atoyac, which rises near the capital and 
winds for one hundred and seventy miles before reaching its mouth. 

The climate of Oaxaca is in general very salubrious, for, although it is nearer the equator 
than some other states, its high mountainous altitudes give it healthy breezes. 

Besides her vast mining resources, the agricultural resources of Oaxaca are practically 
limitless. All the products of the temperate zone are raised in great abundance, while the 
more profitable ones of the torrid zone abound. The cacao raised here is equal to the best 
from Caraccas, while the annual yield of cochineal is over five hundred thousand pounds. 

One of the chief products of the land is maize, which produces at the rate of four hundred 
to one. There are always two crops, and sometimes there are three, a year, the produce being 
sold on the spot at good prices, for it is one of the staple food-stuffs of the country ; therefore 
there is no fear of over-production. The same may be said of beans, which are also a staple 
article of food. With the maize crop and the beans are planted bananas. They grow quickly, 
require little care, and bear in the first year. All these are very valuable products, and will 
support the colonists for the first few years, while the other crops are coffee, tobacco, cocoa, and 
oranges ; but most of these, except tobacco, take a few years before they begin to yield. 
Cocoa is even more productive than coffee. The cultivation of fruit is a most profitable enter- 
prise in Oaxaca. Since the destruction of the orange-groves in Florida by severe frost a few 
years ago, Oaxaca oranges have found an illimitable market in New York and other chief cities 
of the United States. Then there is the cultivation of various fibrous plants, such as the 
ramie and the sisal hemp. These products have raised the province of Yucatan from one 
of the poorest states to one of the richest. These plants require little or no care. Many, 
indeed, use them as hedges to divide the fields. 

The Mexican government is anxious to encourage English colonists and English enter- 
prise, and has given proof of its good will by granting several important favors and exemptions 
to colonists. Among these are exemption from taxation, whether federal or local, for a period 
of ten years ; freedom from import duties for all goods, machinery, building material, clothing, 
and cattle coming into the country for the use of the colonists ; and exemption for the same 
period from all military and municipal services. 

An English colony in that part of Oaxaca cornering on Chiapas and Vera Cruz owns 
fifteen thousand acres of the finest land, selected on a spur of the Sierra Madre, near the 
important town of Suchil, close to the Tehuantepec Railway. The importance of this fact can 
scarcely be over-estimated. The railway, one hundred and thirty miles long, and connecting 
the Atlantic v/ith the Pacific coast, was opened in 1894. ^ts traffic receipts, according to the 
British consul's reports, have already doubled. The Mexican government has determined to 
assist in developing this district by deepening and enlarging the port of Salina Cruz, on the 
Pacific side, and the port of Coatzacoalcos, the terminal point on the Mexican gulf This prop- 
erty is well timbered, and is divided into lots of one hundred acres each, suitable for the cultiva- 
tion of fruits, coffee, and tobacco. A new railroad has been surveyed, which will cross the rich 
coffee regions of Teutila, Jalapa de Diaz, and Textepec, and will be a great advantage to Villa 
Alta and Coapan, which undoubtedly are destined to become the richest coffee regions in the 
world, as they are superior to those of Uruapam. By this road the exportations from the state 
of Oaxaca to the Gulf of Mexico and any point on the Atlantic will be made three hundred 
kilometres shorter than by any other route. Several points of the state of Puebla will also be 
greatly benefited by the new railroad. From this it can readily be seen that the people of 
Oaxaca are waking up to the spirit of modern enterprise. 



OAXACA 



177 



Although Oaxaca is practically an agricultural state, there are a great many manufactories, 
the more important being of soap, sugars, aguardiente, or cane-rum, beer, gunpowder, and palm- 
leaf hats. There are also flour-mills, salt-mills, tanneries, and cloth-factories. By the way, 
Mexican cotton-mills declare large dividends. It has been amply demonstrated that Mexican 
cotton prints can drive out European goods on the Pacific coast. Mexico on a silver basis and 
with cheap labor wall parallel the manufacturing achievements of Japan. 

The state of Oaxaca, and especially the valley of Oaxaca and its tributaries, are especially 
rich in subjects for research, and have never had the attention their importance demands. The 
city of Oaxaca is situated at the junction of three valleys, with high mountains surrounding it : 
the Etta valley extends to the northwest, the Flacololula valley lies nearly due east, while the 




The Cathedral of Oaxaca. 



principal or Oaxaca valley extends to the south. These valleys to-day support a population of 
nearly two hundred thousand people, which is probably not one-third of that which they had 
supported prior to the time of the conquest and for ages before, for here was the seat of the 
great Zapoteca empire, that had successfully defended itself against all in\'asions, and had never 
paid tribute or acknowledged allegiance to the great power of the Montezumas. 

While its artisans were famous throughout Mexico at the time of the conquest, the)' 
had allowed many magnificent structures to fall to ruin, and even the traditions of some 
of their greatest works to be forgotten, or to be found only in the picture-records which 
had been preserved for centuries, but which were all destroyed during the Spanish conquest. 
Had these been preserved they would undoubtedly have been of inestimable value at the 
present day. 



178 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Six hours' ride from Oaxaca behind galloping mules brings one to the ruins of Mitla. There, 
as firmly and securely in place as they were on the day in which they were put in position, can be 
seen ereat stones eighteen feet long-, six feet wide, and five feet thick. When the visitor has 
seen these walls, which have stood for centuries, and has witnessed the awkward efforts of the 
Indians of this generation as they pull and tug at a top block of onyx to get it on the cars, he 
is prepared to believe that these brown-skinned people of to-day have no knowledge of the 
ancients who built Mitla. There are no arches in this wonderful architecture of Mitla. Every- 
thing is square. In one of the courts of what is supposed to have been the temple is a row 

of columns. Each column is a 
single stone seven feet in circum- 
ference and twelve feet high. 

At Oaxaca are collections 
of idols, grotesque and quaint, 
and strikingly similar to those 
which come from Egypt and 
India. These idols are dug from 
what appear to have been burial- 
places in the country round 
about Oaxaca. The Indians of 
the present find them and bring 
them into the city to sell. The 
places where these idols are 
found are walled with sun-dried 
brick. Presumably there were 
bodies of people buried there, 
but nothing remains but the little 
soapstone and limestone images, 
carved from blocks with the 
same straight lines that characterize the architecture of the ruined temple and the hieroglyphs. 
The ancient Mexicans left ruins of temples to astonish latter-day civilization. The modern 
Mexicans are giving demonstrations in a more practical direction. 

The ruins of Mitla may be fairly classed with those of Yucatan and Honduras, the best in 
Central America. They cover many acres of ground, and are in every stage of destruction and 
decay. The hand of the vandal has done more to destroy them than the tooth of time. 

Where vandalism has not disturbed them, the walls are perfect as when erected. Not in 
all the wall now remaining is there the slightest settling crack or mar from faulty construction. 
The thing that most attracts attention on coming in range is the perfect design of fretwork or 
moulding running through the whole structure, all formed by geometrical lines, the pattern 
being known as Grecian the world over. Some writers have called this work mosaic, but, while 
each and every member of this moulding or fretwork is cut from stone, and cut to fit the 
adjoining stone, all are set in the wall, fitting as perfectly as paj^er in a tablet, without mortar 
or cement. So well has the work been done that, after the lapse of centuries. It requires a close 
inspection to find the joints. The ruins contain a few columns of the most primitive order, 
with a slight diminish, but no sign of base or cap. 

The buildings are very extensive, and are magnificent In the skill and art shown in their 
construction. They were so designed as to face a central square. They were not connected 




Ruins of the Temple of Mitla. 



O AX AC A 



179 



at the corners, but the centre court was protected by a wall of rock and mortar which filled the 
spaces. Each building had only three openings, all facing the court. There were no windows 
or other means of lighting the interior. The walls were made of a very tenacious adobe, 
veneered both within and without with finely cut stone laid in regular courses and interspersed 
wath panels which are filled in with what may be denominated herring-bone work, in a profusion 
of patterns, each cut to fit its particular place, whether a square or a scroll, and the joints are 
so perfect that only the thinnest kind of cement could be used, if indeed any were used ; and 
to-day, after centuries of earthquakes, these joints are so perfect as to call forth the admiration 
of all who behold them. The lintels over the door-ways are each of one solid stone, and, with 
all our modern appliances and engineering skill, it would be considered a great triumph to 




Palace of the Governor. 

place them in their position. It is therefore marvellous when we consider that the quarry from 
which these immense rocks were cut is on a mountain fifteen hundred feet above the valley 
and distant some five miles. They were brought this distance and elevated to their position 
by means unknown to us. Without doubt many underground rooms and passages exist. 
There is what appears to be a passage-way leading down to these subterranean chambers, 
and tradition says they extend for miles. At the west of these buildings there is a large adobe 
mound having a broad flight of cut-stone steps leading to the top. About half-way up is 
a platform. These steps are on the east side of the mound and face the principal buildings. 
Just across the creek to the south are the remains of several mounds, in the midst of which 
is a teocalli, which at one time had a broad walk winding around its sides until it reached the 
top. The walk is still to be seen in several places, although the greater part has fallen down. 



i8o 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Small mounds abound in the vicinity. Few works of art, such as vases, fragments of statues, 
and the like, have been found in this vicinity. Inside the ruins no iron is found, and no iron 
tools. Granite utensils, red copper axes and chisels, and fragments of pillars and architraves, 
have been found near Mitla. 

Some two or three miles to the east, in the Hacienda de Zaaga, under a part of the house, 
an ancient tomb was discovered. We do not know what was found in it. In form it is a Latin 
cross. The arms of the cross are about nine feet long, the head eleven feet, and the entrance 
about nineteen feet. The width is four feet four inches, and the height five feet six inches. The 




The Great Cotton-Mills of Oaxaca. 



roof is formed of a larsfe dressed stone, and the interior was at one time covered with cement. 
The walls are of finely dressed stone, and are ornamented with panels, like the buildings at 
Mitla. The Greek cross is used in ornamenting some of the panels. 

Still farther east, and commanding the only pass through the mountain in this direction, is 
what seems to have been a fortification, with walls from twelve to twenty feet thick and about 
ten feet high. There seems to have been a terrace around the inside, of such height that 
a person standing upon it could see over the top. A little farther up the mountain is a mag- 
nificent tomb in the form of a perfect Greek cross, built of immense rocks, different from any 
other that I have ever seen. The whole interior is carved in relief resembling the letter T. 
This tomb was probably never finished, as the roof is lacking, although several large stones 
lying near were evidently intended for this purpose ; also, great stones are encountered in the 
direction of the quarry, which is on the opposite side of the mountain and over a mile distant. 

The pretty town of Oaxaca, with straight, well-built streets, is two hundred and eighty-eight 



OAXACA 



i8i 



miles southeast of the capital of the republic, and nearly a mile above sea-level. It was founded 
in i486, under the name of Huaxyacac, and fell under the Spanish rule in 1528. It has a 
rapidly increasing population of thirty thousand. The state library is there, and contains 
thirteen thousand volumes. The streets are regularly laid out, wide and spacious, and the 
houses are for the most part handsome and substantial, though largely of adobe. The prin- 
cipal buildings are the cathedral, the Santuario de la Soledad, and other churches and con\ents 
gorgeously decorated. There are, also, the cabildo, or city hall, the episcopal palace, the govern- 
ment buildings, and several handsome plazas embellished with flowers, trees, and fountains. 




Anxif.xt Pillars at Mitla. 

The surrounding country is exceedingly picturesque, being literally covered with gardens and 
cochineal groves. The hospital at Oaxaca is one of the best in Mexico, and education is zeal- 
ously promoted, 

Oaxaca, old as it is, is extremely pleasant. Its houses are white, and on the balconies 
every day may be seen groups of young people, well dressed and cheerful, giving a festive air 
to the whole city. The government building is exceedingly beautiful, recalling those of the 
time of the viceroys. In the Plaza de Armas is a beautiful monument to the patriot Juarez, 
which is one of the most elegant in Mexico. The park of Guadalupe is very delightful, large 
and stately, with flowers and groves of beautiful trees, while the cathedral is one of the most 
strikinof features of the town. There are a great many schools in Oaxaca, including a scientific 
institute and a fine seminary. There are also an historical museum, a public library, and a 
branch of the National Bank of Mexico. 

Probably the present condition of no Mexican city illustrates the early condition of all of 



l82 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



them better than that of Oaxaca. It has been easily accessible for so short a period that its 
circumstances are essentially what they were before the railway was built. Through three 
centuries of its history it has grown as an interior town in the fullest sense of that term. It 
lies in one of the most beautiful and fertile valleys of Mexico, or rather at the meeting-point of 
three valleys. It is shut off from the ocean on the south by a solid range of mountains ; it is 
separated from the cities of Central Mexico on the norih by a mass of rough and broken 
country. The region of which it is the centre is a part of the world by itself and the community 
which occupies it is practically a self-sufficing body of people. The population has grown so 
slowly through its long existence that it has learned to satisfy its wants as they have appeared 
by its own products. The hand-looms which have been used for generations are still in use. 




Temple ok La Soledad. 

The pottery which the inhabitants of this region must have learned to make centuries ago is 
still made and turned to all conceivable uses, from cooking-stoves to children's toys. Articles 
made from the potter's clay serve most of the purposes of our articles of iron or tin or wood or 
brass. If you wish a bell, you will buy it of the potter. If you wish a whistle, you will buy it 
of the potter. If you wish tiles to cover the dome of the cathedral, you will buy them of the 
potter. Apparently simple materials are also made to serve a large number of ends. The 
maguey plant is a familiar instance of a single kind of material put to a multitude of uses. So 
skilfully, under the pressure of necessity, have the resources of this region been utilized, that if 
a wall of absolute exclusion were built alongf the ridee of the encirclino- mountains the life of the 
community would go on without noteworthy inconvenience to the bulk of the inhabitants. 
The well-cultivated cornfields would produce, as they do now, an abundant supply of the staple 



O AX AC A 183 

food. The flocks and herds would multiply as they do now, and their skins would be turned 
into sandals, shoes, and other articles of clothing. On the physical side there would be few 
wants unsatisfied. As now, few would be rich, and each would have somethine- 

The condition of Oaxaca is typical of the condition of all Mexican towns that have grown 
up where they are by reason of their rich agricultural neighborhood. This condition of things 
is the basis of the remark by an engineer who has had great e.xperience in locating railways in 
Mexico, that it is never worth while to go out of the way to reach a Mexican town, but quite 
worth a special effort to reach the great plantations. This would be permanently true if the 
towns were to remain as the railways find them. But they do not so remain. The coming 
of the railway means for the town a transformation of its life. And so the city of Oaxaca is 
rapidly growing and developing by contact with the outer world. 

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is that narrow neck of land in tropical Mexico which lies 
between parallels 18° and 16° N., dividing the Adantic and Pacific waters. The shortest trans- 
continental railroad on this hemisphere (already referred to) is built there, and its trains run 
across in about six hours. It is the verdict of all who have been there that it is not only a 
magnificent and beautiful country, but has also the most delightful tropical climate they have ever 
been in. The railroad is destined in a very short time to be the most important little road in 
America. Twice the United States government spent a great deal of time and money making 
a survey across that neck of land with a view of cutting a canal, once in 1852, and again in 
1 87 1, when Captain Shufeldt, of the United States Navy, was sent with a large expedition to 
make surveys. Again, Captain Eads spent a great deal of time there on his plan to build a 
ship-railway. Now that the isthmus is opened up by a railway, which will soon be followed 
by steamship communication, that portion of Mexico, more than any other, will participate in 
the wonderful progress Mexico is now making. 

The mountain scenery in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and the numerous beautiful rivers 
fringed with ■ the perpetual green foliage of the tropical plants, with the interesting variety of 
birds and other game found there, the delightful climate all the year round, and the perpetual 
fresh breezes from the two oceans, will make that part of Mexico the most delightful section 
on this continent to live in. Besides the rich coffee plantations dotted all over the isthmus, 
you will see hundreds of elegant homes surrounded by magnificent flower-gardens, owned by 
people in this part of the country, who spend their winters here every year. 

The Mexican Coffee Trading and Planting Company's plantation, so far, promises to be 
one of the largest and most important on the isthmus. The company own twenty thousand 
acres of land, situated on the banks of the now famous Coatzacoalcos River, and only about 
four miles from the Tehuantepec Railroad. They have already begun planting, and have one 
million five hundred thousand plants started in the nurseries. 

The distance from Oaxaca to Tehuantepec is considerably less than from Puebla to Oaxaca. 
The railway connection when made will give this southern half of Mexico an outlet to the 
Pacific which is badly needed. It will also complete, with the link building beyond the 
isthmus, through rail connection between North and Central America. Down the canons of 
the Rio Salado and De los Cues and up the canon of Tornellin the builders pushed their way, 
solving some of the most difficult problems ever encountered in railroad construction. They 
not only tunnelled to get passage for the trains, but they bored the spurs of the mountains in 
three places to give the rivers new channels. The bare gray and brown and red cliffs tower 
two thousand feet above the track. Tourists journey across the United States for brief half- 
hours in canon scenery ; on this Mexican Southern the traveller rides half a day through awe- 



1 84 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



inspiring gorges. The train reels down and then staggers up grades which are only a fraction 
below the legal limit of four per cent. The route is through masses of rock ; in some places 
the boulders are so poised that it seems as if slight jarring would dislodge them. The trav- 
eller, when the train starts down these curves, can look ahead and see the route and the stations 
an hour in advance of the schedule time. 

The completion of the Tehuantepec Railway and its. opening to traffic have not attracted 
as much attention as they deserve. The construction of the railway was a matter of national 
importance. It was carried out by the Mexican government at its own cost, by the advice of 
President Diaz, who recognized its strategic value. 

President Diaz has distinguished himself as much in the council-chamber as upon the 
batde-field. After restoring peace and security to his country, he has especially studied its 




Stone Carving at Mitla. 



agricultural and industrial development. With this object he has encouraged the construction 
of railways in all parts of the country, by means of which produce may be carried to the best 
market. 

Travel throughout the state is remarkably free from danger, and the officials, as well as 
the indigent natives, are uniformly kind and considerate in their treatment of strangers, gladly 
welcoming the investor, who, they know, in seeking to better his own condidon cannot fail to 
better the condition of those with whom he is thrown in contact. 

The state of Oaxaca is notable for having been the stronghold of the Mixtecas, a race of 
Indians who emigrated many centuries ago from the north and, displacing the Chochones, occu- 
pied the state, together with Puebla and Guerrero. They were an intelligent and progressive 



O AX AC A 



185 



race, and were governed by independent chiefs. Tlie Aztecs afterward subdued some of the 
Mixtecas, but those of Oaxaca remained independent, and many of them still are found in 
parts of the state. Their chief towns are Huajuapan, Yanhuisdan, Tlaxiaco, and Tepascolula. 
Remains of their former cities, temples, and fortresses show that they had considerable culti- 
vation. They believed in a heaven, called Sosola, and had sacred caves in the mountains. 
Probably they had something to do with the original Mitla. They had a distinct language, with 
several dialects. A Mixtecan grammar was published in 1593, and there are still existing 
religious treatises printed in Mixtecan in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Mix- 
tecans of to-day are intelligent, quiet citizens. 

Not far from the city of Oaxaca is the big tree of Tula. It is one hundred and fifty-four and 
a half feet around six feet from the ground ; at least I know it takes forty men to reach around it. 




The Juarez Garden. 

It is of the cypress family, and must have been here long before Columbus touched Western 
shores. On the tree is a wooden tablet, placed there by Humboldt, the great German traveller. 
My first visit to the city of Oaxaca was made when the journey had to be performed on 
horseback. While compiling the material for this book, I was taken there in a special car over 
the fine new track, and noted the most astonishing changes. Everywhere \illages were spring- 
ing up, and manufacturing industries showed the spread of modern enterprise. Besides the 
generous assistance of President Diaz, much of this progress is due to Governor Gonzalez. 
This official. General Martin Gonzalez, who is almost like a member of the president's family, is 
a gentleman of distinguished ability, competent in every way to lead Oaxaca toward the highest 
social, economical, and industrial plane. 



1 86 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



® 



CHAPTER XX 

VERA CRUZ 

NE of the most important states of Mexico is Vera Cruz, which lies stretched along 
the eastern coast. It is traversed by the Sierra Madre, and is generally mountain- 
ous, except the sandy region, which is about thirty miles wide. The highest peak is 
Orizaba, seventeen thousand one hundred and seventy-six feet high, on the border 
of Puebla. The Cofre de Perote, near Jalapa, is fourteen thousand three hundred 
and nine feet higfh, and San Martin, or Tuxtla, nine thousand seven hundred and eight feet. 
All of these are volcanoes, and Orizaba is perpetually snow-capped. The principal rivers are 
the Panuco, Alvarado, and Coatzacoalcos, the mouths of which are obstructed by sand-bars. 
There are several large lagoons on the coast, of which Tamiagua is about sixty miles long 
and twenty miles broad. Alvarado, the largest in the south, is divided into smaller lagoons 
by many islands. The climate is hot on the coast, where yellow fever prevails from May to 
November, but in Jalapa, Cordoba, Orizaba, and other elevated places it is agreeable and 
healthful. The soil of the interior is very fertile, and produces, according to elevation, a vege- 
tation ranging from tropical almost to arctic. Sugar is cultivated in all the eighteen cantons, 
coffee in fifteen, tobacco in fourteen, cacao in eleven, and vanilla in five. Cotton also is exten- 
sively cultivated, as well as the cereals and fruits. The coffee is very fine, and the tobacco is 
said to equal the Cuban. Cattle are raised in great numbers. Among the mineral products are 
gold, copper, lead, and iron. 

Vera Cruz is divided into eighteen cantons, — Acayucan, Chicontepec, Coatepec, Cordoba, 
Cosamaloapan, Huatusco, Jalapa, Jalacingo, Minatitlan, Mizantla, Orizaba, Papantla, Tampico, 
Tantoyuca, Tuxpan, Tuxtla, Vera Cruz, and Zonzolica. 

The city of Vera Cruz was built in a semicircle fronting the sea, and was formerly enclosed 
by a wall six feet high and three feet thick, and defended by two redoubts on shore and by the 
castle of San Juan de Ulua or Ulloa, which stands on an island of the same name about half 
a mile from the shore. The streets are regular and wide and form many squares, and some of 
those running east and west have a stream in the middle. The houses are strongly built of 
coral limestone in the old Spanish style, enclosing a square court with covered galleries. Most 
of the windows are furnished with iron gratings, and window-glass is not common. Among the 
principal buildings are the municipal palace, built in 1609, the custom-house, the provincial 
treasury, the commandant-general's office, and the old convent of San Francisco, the tower of 
which was fitted up as a light-house in 1872. In the same building is the public library, founded 
in 1870. There are also several churches, a theatre, a bull-ring, an exchange, a casino, three 
hospitals, and an artillery school. The harbor is an open roadstead between the city and the 
castle. A new mole was finished in 1875, but it is unapproachable during northers by any but 
small boats. On one of the bastions of San Juan de Ulua is a light-house, and on another 
a watch-tower. There are also a chapel and a cemetery on the island. Besides this island there 



VERA CRUZ 



187 



are in the roadstead a small island called \'erde and the Sacrificios and Blanquilla isles. \'era 
Cruz is the most important port of the republic. Its exports amount annually to about twenty- 
five million dollars, and its imports to twenty-six million dollars ; of the latter, about two million 
dollars are from the United States. The chief exports are coffee, vanilla beans, hides, tobacco, 
cochineal, caoutchouc, jalap, fustic, and indigo. Vera Cruz is connected by railwa)- with Mexico, 
with Medellin, and with Jalapa and Boca del Potrero, and by steamers with Xew York, New 
Orleans, the West Indies, and Europe. 

The city of Villa Rica de Vera Cruz was founded by Cortez in 15 19, a short distance north 
from the present site, but was abandoned in a few years for a position near the mouth of the 
Antigua, which was called Antigua Vera Cruz. About 1590 it was again remo\ed to the present 
site and named Nueva Vera Cruz. Philip 
III. conferred on it the title and privileges 
of a city in 161 5. 

The castle of San Juan de Ulua, which 
was the last foothold of the Spaniards in 
Mexico, was surrendered by them to the 
patriots in 1825. In 1838 Vera Cruz was 
bombarded and taken by the French, and in 
1847 by the Americans under General Scott. 
It was surrendered to the allied British, 
French, and Spanish squadron in December, 
1 86 1, and was restored to Mexico in 1867. 

The name Villa Rica de Vera Cruz 
means "the rich town of the true cross," 
and Cortez chose it as signifying the union 
of spiritual and temporal interests. The 
sudden growth of the town under Cortez's 
direction reads almost like the marvellous 
upspringing of some of the " boom towns" 
in the Western United States to-day, except 
that the buildings were much more substan- 
tial. Cortez selected a "wide and fruitful 
plain" and pressed all his Indian allies into 
the building of Vera Cruz or Villa Rica. He 
laid out the circuit of its walls, the sites of 

fort, granary, town-house, temple, and other buildings. The friendly Indians brought stone, 
w^ood, lime, and sun-dried bricks ; and e\-ery man, including the great conqueror himself labored 
wath his own hands to construct this town, which was to be a magazine for stores, a retreat for 
the disabled, and the head-quarters in Mexico of the Spanish army. And so Vera Cruz was 
the first colony of New Spain. 

The present city of Vera Cruz is not the same that was built by Cortez, known as the 
first European setdement ever made upon this continent, — that is to say, in the year 15 19. 
The Villa Rica de Vera Cruz — the " rich town of the true cross" — which was settled by Cortez 
is distant about six miles from the present city. Vera Cruz is a pretty towm, with broad and 
reasonably clean streets. 

The present city of Vera Cruz is two hundred and sixty-three miles distant from the city 




SeSor Gobernador Don Teodora Dehesa. 



1 88 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

of Mexico. The twenty-four thousand inhabitants are renowned for their culture, their frank 
and simple manners, and their patriotism, of the latter of which they have given many proofs 
durino- the various sieges which the town has sustained against foreign foes, thus justifying the 
appellation of "heroic" given to the town. 

The cathedral in Vera Cruz is a Gothic building, with the same profusion of paintings and 
statuary that is to be found in all Mexican churches. There may be seen a wax figure of the 
Saviour in the tomb, life-size and singularly beautiful. There are three representations of the 
crucifixion, as large as life and of different shades of color, each retaining all the features and 
lineaments to which we are accustomed in the portraits of Christ, somewhat strangely combined 




The Port of Vera Cruz. 

with the peculiarities of the physiognomy of two of the three races that constitute the inhab- 
itants of Vera Cruz. A very handsome custom-house has been erected on the mole at Vera 
Cruz. The material of which it is built was brought from Ouincy, in Massachusetts, although 
there is stone equally good within ten miles of Vera Cruz. 

Once Vera Cruz was encircled by a wall and was considered a strong place, but now it is 
defenceless. The grim old castle of San Juan de Ulua, just across the roadstead, is of no 
utility for defence or offence. It cost a vast sum, this island fortress, and it is said that Charles 
the Fifth, coming clown once to the shore in distant Spain, stood with hand over his eyes to 
shade them and gazed across the ocean steadfastly for some moments. " What is your majesty 
looking at?" asked a courtier. And the king replied, "I am looking for San Juan de Ulua; 
it has cost me so many millions that it must needs be big enough to be discerned across 
the sea." 



VERA CRUZ 



189 



The experience of three Mexican revolutions mai<es it easier to conceive the extent to 
which this unfortunate city must have suffered in the stru^-gle made by the Spaniards to preser\-e 
the castle, their last bulwark on this continent. San Juan de Ulua remains a lasting memorial 
of the great works which, almost immediately after their arri\'al on these shores, were under- 
taken by the Spanish conquerors. 

In 1582, sixty-one. years after they had set foot on Aztec soil, they began tliis fortress in 
order to confirm their power. The centre of the space which it occupies is a small island, where 
the Spaniards under Juan de Grijalva arrived one year before Cortez reached the Mexican con- 
tinent. Having found the remains of two human victims there, they asked the natives wh)- the)' 
sacrificed men to their idols, and, receivine 
for answer that it was by order of the kings 
of Acolhua, the Spaniards gave the island the 
name of Ulua, by a natural corruption of that 
word. It is said that the fortress cost four 
millions ; and though this statement is, no 
doubt, an exaggeration, the expense must 
have been very great, when we consider that 
its foundations are below the water, and that 
for nearly three centuries it has resisted all 
the force of the stormy waves that continually 
beat against it. Many improvements and addi- 
tions were gradually made to the castle. In 
1603, however, Vera Cruz was sacked by the 
roving corsair Nicholas Agramont, incited 
by one Lorencillo, who had been condemned 
to death for murder in Vera Cruz and had 
escaped to Jamaica. Seven millions of dollars 
were carried off, besides three hundred per- 
sons of both sexes, whom the pirates aban- 
doned in the island of Sacrificios when they 
re-embarked. 

In 1 77 1 the viceroy, then the Marquis 
de la Croix, remitted a million and a half of 
dollars to the governor, in order that he might 
put the castle in a state of defence ; and the 
strong bulwarks which still remain attest the 
labor that has been bestowed upon it. The outer polygon, which looks toward \'era Cruz, is 
three hundred yards in extent ; to the north it is defended by another of two hundred yards ; 
whilst a low battery is situated as a rear-guard in the bastion of Santiago, and on the opposite 
front is the battery of San Miguel. The whole fortress is composed of a stone which abounds 
in the neighboring island, a species of coral, excellent for building, picdra niucara. 

In 1822 no stronghold of Spanish power remained but this castle, whose garrison was 
frequently reinforced by troops from Havana. Vera Cruz was then inhabited by wealthy and 
influential Spaniards. Santa Anna commanded in the province, under the orders of Echavarri, 
the captain-general, and with instructions from Iturbide relative to the taking of the castle. 
The commandant was the Spanish General Don Jose Davila. It was not, however, till the 




Waterfall, Barrio Nuevo. 



I go 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



to him, 
fortress, 
struofale 



terminating 



against 



following year, when Lemaur succeeded Davila in the command of the citadel, that hostilities 
were begun by bombarding Vera Cruz. Men, women, and children then abandoned the city. 
The merchants went to Alvarado, twelve leagues off, whilst those who were driven from their 
houses by a shower of balls sought an asylum among the burning plains and miserable huts 
in the environs. Some made their way to Jalapa, thirty leagues off; others to Cordoba and 
Orizaba. With some interruptions, hostilities lasted two years, during which there was nearly 

a constant firing from the city 
upon the castle and from the 
castle upon the city. On the 
15th of September, 1824, the 
brave General Copinger, with 
the few troops that remained 
marched out of the 
the final 
the progress 
of revolution. 

The castle is now a prison, 
and the most desperate offenders 
in Mexico are confined in the 
prison fortress: "twenty years 
at Ulua" is justly regarded as a 
death-sentence, as it seals the 
murderer's fate. 

Vera Cruz changes but 
slowly, and one notes from year 
to year the disappearance of old landmarks. The wall of defence has mostly gone, and only one 
of the " spit-fire" batteries is left. Vera Cruz is doing a deal of business, however. It is a great 
port, and there is much rumbling to and fro of laden carts, much bustle on the piers, and all 
the enterprise and "hustle" of a modern progressive city. 

The working people of Vera Cruz are a clean, well-fed lot. They earn far better pay than 
the workers of the table-land cities. The common laborer gets a dollar and a quarter a day, 
and a stevedore three dollars. 

In coming down from Mexico — and many residents of the capital do come down between 
November and May — the passenger makes a descent of seven thousand three hundred feet in 
eleven hours, and finds the most picturesque scenery in the world, besides meeting a most 
sudden and absolute change in temperature. The train leaves Mexico in the morning ; at Espe- 
ranza the wonderful scenery is seen about noon ; this grows more and more picturesque until 
Paso del Machio is reached, forty-seven miles from Vera Cruz, and five hundred feet above the 
sea. Soon after leaving Esperanza you near the edge of the plateau, and the marvellous pano- 
ramas begin to pass before the delighted vision. The train turns and twists and crawls down a 
serpentine track along a terrace cut into the mountain-side. Thousands of feet below is the luxu- 
riant valley of La Joya, and across are the encircling mountains, seemingly of green velvet cut 
into a ragged line against the blue and white horizon. As you speed along, the Scripture verse 
comes unbidden to the mind, "The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs," 
so swiftly do they glide and disappear behind. Between Bota and the little village of Maltrata, 
which at first lies down below you, spread out in the lap of the valley like a checker-board, the 




Governor's Palace at Jalapa. 



VERA CRUZ 



191 



train passes through an appalling number of curves and reverse curves, going a distance of 
five or six kilometres to make one. By and by you leave the \alley of La Joya and enter 
the "Barranca del Infernillo," or "Little Hell." Here the road cHngs to a precipitous cliff 
hundreds of feet high, and over yawning chasms, across bridges above bottomless depths, or 
through tunnels that pierce rocky promontories and mountains. There are specially con- 
structed engines to do all this, however, and they can climb this ascent on the wa)' back at 
the rate of two thousand five hundred feet an hour, while they descend in perfect safety. This 
ravine opens into the valley of Orizaba and leads to the city of the same name. Its low, 
squatty dwellings, quaint churches, and picturesque mills, its wealth of orchards and brilliant 
foliage, and the noted cascades of the Rincon Grande and Barrio Nuevo, all help to make 
this one of the most beautiful spots in the world. The remainder of the distance is a veritable 
paradise. The air is perfumed with sweet-scented blossoms and enlivened by song-birds of 
brilliant hue, while the scenery and foliage keep the traveller dazzled with the richest tropi- 
cal views, — with reds and yellows, blues and greens, lichens and mosses, ferns and orchids, 
each outdoing the other in vivid color-glory. Coffee plantations speckled with scarlet hibiscus 
succeed the sugar groves, and over all the glistening silver peak of Orizaba keeps watch 
and ward. 

Throughout the city of Vera Cruz the stranger finds something enchanting and unreal in 
the different streets, with their innumerable balconies and fluttering awnings. During the hot 
afternoon one looks in vain for any sign of life in the great stone houses with their many windows 
and with their heavy draperies lazily waving in the soft breeze. Behind those walls the women 
are sleeping the long after-dinner siesta, and the black eyes that will flash in the plaza at evening 
are closed beneath lone lanoruor- 



ous lashes. The city is still ; no 
hum of traffic greets the ear. 
The long rest-time has cast its 
spell over everybody, and there 
is nothing to do but go and lie 
down to dream of the ships, the 
bearded captains, and the grim 
castle ; of the far-distant days 
of romance when Cortez and his 
men in armor first saw this 
strange land ; and even farther 
back than that, when the Toltecs 
and Aztecs had things all their 
own way ; and then Vera Cruz 
seems hoary with antiquity, and 
the creatures of to-day naught 
but mere incidents in the o-reat 

O 

scroll of history. 

The surface of the state 
rises gradually from the Gulf coast to the Cordilleras, forming a series of delightfully terraced 
hills, whose scenery is everywhere picturesque and exuberant, while the vegetation is luxuriant 
in the extreme. The mountain streams, especially, are enchantingly picturesque as they rush 
down to the valleys, there to become peaceful gliding rivers. 




Cascade of Rincon Grande. 



19- 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



One of the finest pieces of engineering work in this country is the Metlac bridge, across 
the river of the same name, and erected by the Mexican Railway. 

Nowhere in Mexico is there a more beautiful spot than the city of Jalapa. When the 
atmosphere is clear, one can see the shipping in the harbor of Vera Cruz with an ordinary spy- 
glass and the white caps of the waves with the naked eye. The elevation of Jalapa above the 
sea is a little more than four thousand feet. It is situated on a shelf of the mountain, the sum- 
mit of which at Perote, a distance in a direct line of about twenty miles, is four thousand five 

hundred feet higher than Jalapa. 
The whole horizon, except in 
the direction of Vera Cruz, is 
bounded by mountains, — among 
them Orizaba, which is distant 
from Jalapa about twenty-five 
miles, thoueh, owine to the re- 
markable clearness of the atmos- 
phere and the sun shining upon 
the snow -with \\'hich it is always 
covered, it does not seem to be 
five miles. All the tropical fruits 
grow there, and are cultivated 
with great care and skill. It 
is not exaggeration to say that 
it is impossible for one who has 
not been on the table-land of 
Mexico to conceive of a climate 
so elysian. There is not a day, 
and scarcely an hour, in the 
year when one could say, " I wish it were a little warmer, or a little cooler." It is never warm 
enough to make you pull off your coat, and rarely cool enough to button it. 

Perote is thirty-five miles from Jalapa, and is eight thousand five hundred feet above the 
sea-level. This name was made familiar to American readers as the place of confinement of 
the Texan prisoners and of General Santa Anna himself. Its great elevation and the vicinity 
of the mountain of Orizaba make the climate uncomfortably cold at night. It has a very large 
and strong military fortress. 

English merchants and other inhabitants of Vera Cruz go to live in or near Jalapa during 
the reign of the vdmito. There are some old churches, a very old convent of Franciscan monks, 
and a well-supplied market-place. Everywhere there are flowers, — roses creeping over the old 
walls, Indian girls making green garlands for the Virgin and saints, flowers in the shops, flowers 
at the windows ; and, above all, everywhere there is one of the most splendid mountain views 
in the world. 

The Cofre de Perote, with its dark pine forests and -its gigantic chest (a rock of porphyry 
which takes that form), and the still loftier snow-white peak of Orizaba, tower above all the 
others, seeming like the colossal guardians of the land. The intervening mountains, the dark 
cliffs and fertile plains, the thick woods of lofty trees clothing the hills and the valleys, a glimpse 
of the distant ocean, the surrounding lanes shaded by fruit-trees, aloes, bananas, and chirlmoyas, 
mingled with the green liquidambar, the flowering myrtle, and hundreds of plants and shrubs 




Hacienda of San Antonio, in Vera Cruz. 



VERA CRUZ 



19: 



and flowers of every color and of delicious fragrance, all combine to form one of die most varied 
and beautiful scenes that the eye can behold. 

Then Jalapa itself so old and gray and rose-covered, with echoes of music issuing from 
every door and window, and its soft and agreeable temperature, presents, even in a few hours, 
a series of agreeable impressions not easily effaced. 

Jalapa is indeed a rare old place. It seems to be built on edge, with streets like stairs 
climbing the hills, while terraced houses cling to the hill-sides. Nevertheless, Jalapa with her 
twenty thousand people has acquired considerable importance as a market for coffee, cotton, 
and other staples. Indeed, this is so true that the railway line between Puebla and Jalapa 
and Vera Cruz is not sufficient as a means of communication with the outside world, and an 
electric railway is being put in. 

In the Jalapa canton are some of the most picturesque places in the republic. The 
Actopan River in its volcanic bed, the crystal Jalancingo, and the Zuacinco wind along under 
arches of noble forest-trees toward the Gulf The cascades of Orduna and Calichal hang- like 




Park and Theatre in Orizaba. 



curtains of light against a great canon, and the quaint towns of Coatepec and Misantla, Avith 
reminiscences of Victoria, are some of the salient features of the landscape. The ride from 
Coatepec, over a narrow mountain pathway up to Jalapa, curtained in clouds, is a wild one, and 
almost persuades the traveller that an electric road would be a modern miracle. Electricity 
in this oldest and quaintest of regions seems like the wand of amber with which the ancient 
Greeks used to perform feats of magic. 

Jalapa itself is a curious place, very ancient and yet very modern. It is like an old man 

13 



194 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



who has found the elixir of life and imbibed the strength of youth with all the ambitions and 
force of manhood. Tradition makes it a town away back before the period of the Aztec. It is 
certain that Cortez stayed there the second night of his famous march from the sea. 

After this the Franciscans built a great monastery and established a new religious life. ' 
In those days the market at Jalapa was known throughout Mexico. When the republic was 
formed Jalapa was raised to a new dignity, and was made the capital of Vera Cruz ; but as 
the activity increased along the sea-coast the industries of Jalapa declined, until it became 
merely a picturesque village among the hills. With the railroad and modern speculators 
Jalapa underwent another change. New factories sprang up, stores and markets were opened, 
and agricultural interests assumed a new phase of activity. Quaint, old-fashioned Jalapa has 
awakened from a two hundred years' sleep and become suddenly a city of manufacturing- 
importance. The factories gi^'e employment to more than a thousand people, and old-time 

thrift has ming-led with modern 
prosperity. 

Jalapa became the seat of 
a fair in the eighteenth cen- 
tury, which was intended to hold 
the same relation to the trade 
between Spain and Mexico that 
the great fair at Porto Bello, 
on the isthmus, held to the 
trade between Spain and South 
America. In order to avoid 
the effects oi the unwholesome 
climate of the coast, goods ar- 
riving at Vera Cruz were trans- 
ported to Jalapa, to be there ex- 
changed for Mexican products 
destined to be exported to 
Spain. Jalapa was chosen for 
this purpose, although an inland 
town, because of its agreeable- 
ness and healthfulness as a place of residence. It is sufficiently Avarm to permit many tropical 
plants to thrive, and, as it is favored with rain at all seasons, the neighboring A-alleys and hill- 
sides are perpetually fresh and green. From the plaza, where one has the higher part of the 
town above him and overlooks the lower part and the broken country in the distance, the world 
appears a very beautiful place. Although great wealth is produced on the coffee plantations 
not far away, Jalapa still figures as a resort for pleasure and a place of waiting till the ships go 
out. And in this character it is becoming more conspicuous since the completion of the Inter- 
oceanic Railway from Mexico to Vera Cruz, which, in descending from the table-land to the 
coast, passes through Jalapa. 

Orizaba is another charming city, which claims to have been admired by Cortez. At least, 
he stopped here on his march to the city of Mexico, leaving a small force behind him. Lucky 
was it for them that Sandoval came alone with more soldiers soon after, or Cortez's earrison 
would have been murdered. It was not a new town even then. The old church of Santa 
Teresa dates back to 1564. This church still stands, but is unused, a new one having sup- 




MuNiciPAL Palace at Cordoba. 



VERA CRUZ 



195 



planted it ; but it forms a most picturesque old ruin, such as Mexico abounds in. Maximilian, 
too, favored Orizaba, and used often to resort here. It is still a favorite watering-place for 
inhabitants of Puebla, Jalapa, Vera Cruz, and Mexico. 

It is a flourishing- city, too, numbering over fifty thousand inhabitants. From several points 
within its limits may be seen the snowy glistening peak of Orizaba ; and the Orizaba Ri\-er 
runs through the town, its rocky banks gay with tropical flowers and fruits. The city is sur- 
rounded with mountains, the chief of which, next to its patron saint, is Cerro de la Escamela. 
The city is set like a jewel in a charming valley in the midst of these mountains, and is every- 
where surrounded with coffee and sugar plantations and other luxuriant tropical vegetation. 
With its exceptional situation and delightful climate, no more desirable place can be found in 
Mexico. 

Orizaba, like Jalapa, lies about midway between the two extremes of the coast and the 
plateau, but in most other respects the two towns stand in sharp contrast with each other. 
At Jalapa the view ranges over a wide extent of hills and valleys ; at Orizaba it is limited by 
the closely surrounding mountains. Jalapa has a number of important industries, but Orizaba 
is one of the busiest manufac- 
turing towns of Mexico. Its 
cotton- and jute-mills employ 
a large number of laborers. 
Lying on the line of the oldest 
railway in the country, not far 
from Vera Cruz, and with easy 
access to the interior cities, it 
has unusual facilities for obtain- 
ing imported raw material and 
for reaching markets for its 
finished products. The rapid 
stream which passes through the 
valley furnishes adequate water- 
power, and in this lies one of its 
special advantages as a manu- 
facturing town. 

The town of Coatzacoalcos, 
at the mouth of the Coatzacoal- 
cos River, is one of the few Drying Coffee. 

places that look like an Ameri- 
can town. The port of Coatzacoalcos is destined to be the principal one on the Gulf coast. 
It is a natural and safe harbor for vessels of^large tonnage ; the water is from four to se\en 
fathoms, with plenty of room for large vessels. The place is growing rapidly, especially since 
the Tehuantepec Railroad has been built across the isthmus. 

The large dry-dock to accommodate vessels of fifteen hundred tons' capacity, for the Mexi- 
can government, at Tlacotalpan, is located on the Papaloapan River, in the southern part of 
the state. This river is of sufficient depth to permit of large ocean \-essels na\-igating its 
waters, and a steamship line has been inaugurated to carry freight and passengers to Tlacotal- 
pan. This city is picturesquely located, and is the general distributing point for a surrounding 
country of many miles in radius. 




196 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Heretofore the war-ships of Mexico have been obliged to go into dry-dock for cleaning, 
scraping, and general repairs in some foreign port. But the Mexican government decided to 
have this done in the future within its own jurisdiction. The dry-dock will possess all modern 
and latest devices for both convenience and safety of vessels. The foundation is to be of con- 
crete, while every stick of timber and piece of iron or steel used in its construction will possess 

durability and utility fully proved 
by tests. 

Tuxpam is beautifully situ- 
ated on the river a few miles 
above the coast. The vegeta- 
tion all around is of the most 
luxuriant sort, and the city has 
a growing population of several 
thousand. 

The state of Vera Cruz 
possesses a sufficient diversity 
of climate and scenery to suit 
every taste except that which 
inclines to the whoUj' frigid. It 
has ample resources to meet 
every reasonable want of man- 
kind of hioh or low deoree. It 
affords the widest scope for the 
energy and skill of the manu- 
facturer and the merchant, the 
stockman, the planter, and the 
navigator. It is a most inviting field for the lumberman, the fisherman, the fruit-grower, the 
market-gardener, and the dairyman. It is easy to realize, after the study of the unique physical 
characteristics of this section, that the true lover of that which is erand and beautiful in nature 
will here find much to admire. 

In Tuxtla's woods and waters are game and fish resources adequate to the wants of a 
nation of sportsmen and epicures. That eminent American naturalist Professor Nelson says, 
" The most unexpected and striking impression received by a stranger visiting Tuxtla is that 
produced by the remarkable varied beauties of the scenery." He next notes the richness of 
the soil and the great agricultural possibilities of the district, and wonders at the vast amount 
ot uncultivated land lying in a state of virgin freshness awaiting the coming of tillers to yield 
an abundant harvest Going to and from any of these places one is constantly passing through 
landscapes worthy of the painter's brush, so full are they of charming interest. 

The state of Vera Cruz is rapidly gaining fame for the variety, beauty, and sublimity of its 
scenic attractions, as well as for the fertility of its soil. Few regions present greater attractions 
to tourists, pleasure-seekers, and lovers of the picturesque and sublime in nature. Capitalists 
can hardly make a mistake by investing their money either in real estate, transportation lines, 
or manufactories. Tobacco has been for many years the king crop in Tuxtla County, while 
coffee, sugar, vanilla, cacao, bananas, cocoanuts, rice, rubber, corn, pineapples, and beans have 
been successfully cultivated for generations, large quantities of coffee being exported yearly. 
One cannot ride in any direction without seeing forests of valuable timber, composed principally 




Coffee Ranch in Vera Cruz. 



VERA CRUZ 



'97 



of fine cabinet woods, such as cedar, mahogan)-, laurel, rosewood, ebony, chicozapote, chagani, 
jonote, gateado, lignum-vita;, etc. 

In the county of Tuxtla alone there are many \illages ranging in population from one 
thousand to eight thousand souls. Good business houses are to be found. .Schools in which 
English is taught, churches, two telegraph lines, post-ofiices and daily mail service to the larger 
towns, also telephone service to the smaller ones and to private haciendas, are among the many 
advantages of this county. Thousands of acres of land are cut up into small tracts and owned 
by the poor people or Indians of the county. 

A greater combination of natural advantages, suitable either for the capitalist or for tlie 
sportsman or the angler coming from the frozen northern regions to pass the dreary winter 
months, does not exist on the American continent. The altitude and the salt breezes from the 
Gulf combined prevent malaria and produce a remarkably cool and health-giving air. 

Rubber-trees produce, in Tuxtla County, in seven years after planting the seed. Cacao and 
vanilla, pineapples and bananas, grow in profusion. Cocoanut-trees have a vigorous growth, 
and attain a great age, up to an altitude of twelve hundred feet above sea-level. In the plaza 
of San Andres there is a tree seventy-five feet high that is said to be one hundred )-ears old. 
Cocoanut-trees produce in six years from the time of planting. 

The group of mountains in Tuxtla County constitute the only high headland bordering 
the Gulf from Florida to Yucatan : hence its healthful conditions over any Gulf region. 

The connecting of Tampico and Tuxpam by the lagoon of Tamiahua also opens up a 
great section of fertile country. The country around the lagoon and around Tuxpam has a 
population of many thousands, 
and they would cultivate large 
areas of land and produce many 
things for export if there were 
regular facilities for shipment. 
Bananas, oranges, lemons, limes, 
pineapples, and many other 
things that require certain, regu- 
lar, and rapid transportation, can 
be produced as easily, surely, and 
profitably there as in any other 
part of the world. Coffee, sugar, 
tobacco, and corn grow to perfec- 
tion. Coffee-trees are as easily 
raised as peach- or apple-trees, 
and the crop is sure every year 
when bearing age is attained, at 
four or five years from planting, 
and will give an annual a\-erage 
profit of fifty dollars per acre. 
No irrigation is required ; the rainfall is sufficient, together with the humidity of the sea-breezes, 
to keep vegetation green and growing constantly. Bananas and pineapples grow as well about 
Tuxpam as they do in Jamaica and Honduras. Tuxpam has the advantage over those places 
of being three days nearer the United States markets by sea, z'ia Tampico, while from Tampico 
there is a direct rail line to the northern cities, thus insuring quick transit. 




Alameda in Vera Cruz. 



198 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Vera Cruz will always be a port of consequence and a great gateway of commerce. It 
is the natural outlet of a fertile agricultural region, and must share in the prosperity of the 
export trade. The competition of Tampico is already felt in tonnage, and it is likely that the 
more northern port is already abreast in that particular of the City of the True Cross, for 
the growth of Tampico has been very rapid during the past few years. A friendly rivalry 
between the two ports, which are chief among the trading points of the Gulf coast, and between 
the railways using them as termini, will do no harm, for there is business enough in modern 
Mexico for both. 

Physicians continue to send anaemic and debilitated patients to the coast, and for one who 
has too long lived in the dry and over-stimulating table-land climate a change to the sea-shore is 
most beneficial. There one breathes easily and the denser air is more heavily charged with 
oxygen. The change observable in a nervous invalid is immediate, for color comes back at once 
to the pale cheeks and whitened lips of the anfemic. The sea-breeze is nature's own tonic, 
never improved upon by the art of the drug compounder. There is so much to see and enjoy 
in Vera Cruz that for the table-land-dweller it is a complete novelty ; and the invalid from 
the sea plateau finds in the sight of the sea and the ships a novel distraction, contributing to 
the restoration of nervous poise. 

The state of Vera Cruz has an accomplished and popular executive head in Senor Don 
Teodoro A. Dehesa, to whose ability is owing much of the present progress of the place. 




TAMAULIPAS 



199 



CHAPTER XXI 






TAMAULIPAS 

T the extreme northeast of the state of Vera Cruz one crosses the Panuco River 
to Tampico, a rival port of Vera Cruz City. This is a convenient port for handUng 
heavy tonnage, and, consequently, Tampico is fast becoming one of the most 
important towns in Mexico. It is in the state of Tamaulipas, and was originally 
named "Santa Ana de Tamaulipas." This state has several ports, but they are 

mostly encumbered with bars that hinder navigation. 

Tamaulipas extends from Vera Cruz to the Rio Grande del Norte, which divides it from 

Texas. It has an area of twenty-eight thou- 
sand six hundred and fifty-nine square miles 

and a population considerably above one hun- 
dred thousand. The coast is low and sandy, 

and there are several lagoons along the 

shore, the largest of which — Laguna Madre 

— is over one hundred miles lono-, and in 

some parts over twenty miles wide. 

The principal rivers of this state are the 

Fernando, or Tigre, Borbon, Santander, and 

Tampico. In the northern part the flat coast- 
lands extend inward for many miles and then 

rise to elevated plains ; in the south the 

country is diversified by many mountains and 

valleys, and the scenery is very picturesque. 

There are rich silver- and copper-mines, which 

promise great and undiscovered wealth, in 

these directions. Valuable timber abounds 

on the mountains, and, as the soil is very 

fertile, all the fruits, grains, and vegetables of 

the temperate and torrid zones are easily 

raised. This is also an excellent state for 

stock-raisLnof of all kinds. 

The chief towns are Ciudad Victoria, 

the capital of Tamaulipas, Matamoras, and 

Tampico. The latter town is built on rising 

ground, with wide streets crossing at right angles. The houses are mostly of stone. There are 

several churches, a custom-house, hospitals, a prison, good schools, and a number of monuments. 




Senor Lie. Guadalupe Mainero, 

Governor of Tamaulipas. 



200 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

It was at Tampico that Americus Vespucius, the ItaUan navigator, first landed on this con- 
tinent ; and it was probably the harbor afforded by the mouth of the Rio Panuco that attracted 
the Spaniards who were cruising around the Gulf of Mexico in 1497, seeking for new worlds 
to conquer. Vespucius left a record of a famous game dinner which he enjoyed at Lariab, 
as the port was then called. This was four hundred years ago, and still the country around 
Tampico is a sportsman's paradise. When this queer ship landed and the first Europeans stood 
on American shores, the bold navigator at the head of the little group of men could hardly have 
expected that so great a country wouki commemorate his name. 

Tampico is built upon a rocky bluff forty feet high, surrounded by lagoons of salt water. 
The town has about six thousand inhabitants, and connects with the various boat-landings by 
means of stone steps, in true Venetian style. The architecture of Tampico is more American 
than most Mexican towns display, owing, doubtless, to its ready communication with New 
Orleans and other northern ports. The houses are built of both wood and stone, with sloping 
roofs and outer verandas. Color prevails everywhere, the houses being painted in blues and 
yellows, each street looking fresh, bright, and clean, and especially so the brilliant fagades clus- 
tering about the plaza. The latter is a densely shaded park paved with granite and provided 
with seats free to rich and poor, traveller and home-keeper alike. No flowers grow in this 
plaza, but the householders around it seem to vie with one another in window and veranda 
gardening. One house will ha\e balconies on the street front with rows of blossominsf orchids 
and amaryllis along the walls ; another house will be covered with vines ; and so on around the 
brilliant facade. Just out of Tampico may be found thousands of orchids growing wild, hanging 
thick on the seaward side of the rocks, where the tropical sun and perpetual moisture give them 
a most luxurious growth. 

The market-place forms one of the most interesting features of Tampico. The pavement 
of the square is provided with holes, into which are thrust the long handles of the odd-looking 
umbrellas made by the natives. Under their shadows on market-days may be seen men, women, 
and children squatting beside plaited palm mats, upon which their wares are spread. These 
include, besides chile, the universal Mexican condiment, tiny earthenware jugs of honey neatly 
covered with a bit of corn-husk tied with maguey fibre, fans and beads, birds and onions, artis- 
tically carved wooden implements for household purposes, and everywhere bunches and heaps 
of marigolds. 

Then there is a wonderful old church, with ancient wood-carving and frescoes by Spanish 
artists. It is a strange mixture of old and new that the traveller meets at every turn in Tam- 
pico ; but the wonderful jetties built out from the mouth of the Panuco seven thousand feet 
into the Gulf are perhaps the most interesting of all. These jetties have great banks of stone 
with easy slopes and rounded tops, like those at the mouth of the Maas in Holland. The sand- 
bar which once obstructed this harbor has entirely disappeared, and now the inland harbor of 
Tampico is one of the most important on the American continent. The cost of these improve- 
ments was over three millions of dollars, borne largely by the federal government and the 
Mexican Central Railway. 

Thus there has been opened to Mexican shipping an inland harbor on the eastern coast, 
free from the storms which make the roadstead of Vera Cruz sometimes inconvenient and 
dangerous. And the new port of Tampico has already regular lines of steamers connecting it 
with New York, Mobile, Havana, and European ports. While this is the first inland port that 
has been opened on the eastern coast of Mexico, the western shore has good harbors ; and by 
the Mexican Gulf Railway running northwestward to Monterey, and the branch of the Mexican 



TAMAUL/PAS 



20I 



Central which runs through San Luis Potosi, the port of Tampico is brought into immediate 
communication with the great internal system of Mexican railways. 

Tampico is the strong rival of Vera Cruz, which long had a practical monopoly of Mexico's 
external trade toward the east. The New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Compan)''s line of 
steamers make direct weekly sailings between New York and Tampico. 

The lands in the neighborhood of Tampico for a distance of several hundred miles are 
unsurpassed in fertility. A few hours' ride from the city brings the traveller into a great plain 
covered with a dense wood. All over this plain are scattered hundreds of flat-topjjed mounds, 
some moated and some with sides of stone slabs. It is supposed that these mounds were once 




Makkf.i at TaMI'ICO. 



the foundations of houses of reeds or bark, of which all traces have utterly disappeared. Small 
vestiges of pottery and a few pieces of stone carving have been found in this wilderness, leading 
archaeologists to locate here a prehistoric race allied to the Ma)'as. 

Aside from the commercial importance of Tampico, it is a popular beach-resort. The Gulf 
beach, several miles in extent, affords an opportunity for surf-bathing second to none on the 
Atlantic coast, and this, too, for every day in the year. As a resort this place offers special 
inducement for the erection of a modern American sea-side hotel, with the particular advantage 
that such a hotel would be remunerati\-e all the )'ear round. 

Aside from the surf-bathing, Tampico is an ideal hunting and fishing resort. This is the 
home of the tarpon, as well as of almost all varieties of salt- and fresh-water fish. Seven miles 
out on the Gulf are the banks of the red snapper. The lakes and rivers in the vicinity are, 
during the winter months, literally covered with ducks, geese. SAvans, flamingoes, etc. In the 



202 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



mountains, thirteen miles baclc from Tampico, are found deer, turlceys, pheasants, and wild hogs 
in abundance. Mountain lions and tigers also exist. Tampico offers exceptional inducements 
to the health- and pleasure-seeker. 

Between Villar and Tampico the mountains, foot-hills, and plains along the coast are 
teeming with game. Alligators and manati may be seen on the river banks, and, in fact, this 
section is a paradise for the canoeist or the camper-out. 

The wharf and custom-house facilities at Tampico have assumed large proportions. Tam- 
pico has the most modern conveniences for the handling and discharge of cargoes, making the 
port second to none on the North American continent in economic handling and quick despatch 
of merchandise. 

The regions whose outlet to tide-water is through the port of Tampico are among the most 
pleasant sections on the face of the globe. Here coffee does better than in any other part of 

Mexico, and better, some con- 
tend, than anywhere else in the 
world. There are navigable 
rivers to Tampico, land transpor- 
tation, and the railroad. Here, 
besides, are a beautiful climate, 
plenty of rainfall, an abundance 
of good labor at low prices, and 
all the conditions which make 
successful and profitable agricul- 
tural ventures. 

There is not a more favored 
section on the American conti- 
nent for the successful cultivation 
of surar-cane than that alono- 
the railroad between Monterey 
and Tampico. The acreage in 
sugar-cane is being constantly 
increased, and extensive surar- 
refineries are springing up at all 
principal points, in which are used the latest improved sugar-machinery and the most modern 
methods. Primitive methods of refining are still in use extensively, but it will not be many 
years before the great bulk of the business will be done at the modern refineries. 

The ribbon cane is the most profitable crop now grown in this district. From Tampico to 
Monterey, whenever a hacienda comes in view, may be seen the fields of graceful cane. In the 
lower country it grows to a gigantic size, often fifteen feet high ; everywhere it averages eight 
or nine feet in height and an inch and a half through. For cane culture the perennial summer 
of Tamaulipas is auspicious. The plant becomes also perennial. It is common, however, to 
replant once in seven years, as better results are secured. One crop is harvested annually. It 
matures in the fall, when the peons strip off the leaves, and, cutting the stalks with machetes, 
or heavy knives, carry them on two-wheel ox-carts to the plantation mill. This consists of cast- 
iron rollers geared together and driven by a mule. The juice pressed by the rollers escapes 
into shallow open vats or pans, where it is neutralized with lime-water and evaporated in the air. 
The thick black syrup is poured into earthenware moulds and permitted to cool. The sugar 




Landing ap Tampico. 



TAMA U LI PAS 



203 



thus made is known as piloncillo. For market, the tapering cylinders, each some six inches 
long and three inches in the larger diameter, are wrapped in dried cane leaves and packed, 
one hundred and fifty pounds together, in a square sack of coarse matting. The great bulk of 
the sugar of Tamaulipas is this dark pilon sugar and molasses. The refiner}' at Linares makes 
one hundred and ninety tons or so of excellent white, granulated sugar in a year, so that it is no 
longer necessary for each farmer to put in his own mill and evaporator. 

During the civil war in the United States, 1861-1865, Tamaulipas made a handsome 
income by raising cotton and exporting it to that country. Many farmers became rich 
in that way ; but when the war was over, and cotton fell in price with the return, of peace 
and the revival of the Southern States, the production declined. There is no reason, how- 




The Liberty Square, Tampico. 

ever, why Tamaulipas should not grow cotton as abundantly as the state of Vera Cruz, 
which has an annual production approximating twenty-five million pounds, with prospects of 
extension. 

Matamoras is a frontier city of Tamaulipas, being only forty miles from the mouth of the 
Rio Grande, and directly opposite the city of Brownsville, Texas. It has a population of over 
twelve thousand, made up mostly of Americans and people of Spanish descent. English is 
commonly spoken. The city is finely situated on a bend of the river. Its wide streets cross at 
right angles, and the houses are mostly of brick and built in modern style. There is a beautiful 
cathedral, as well as numerous churches and convents. There is a good public school system, 
besides plenty of private schools. The climate is hot from April to September, and cool from 
December to March. Matamoras was founded early in the present century, and was named 



204 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



after the great patriot, Mariano Matamoros, whose bones he with those of Hidalgo and Morelos 
in the cathedral at Mexico City. 

Laredo is a name by which a line of condcs of Spain was called. One figured under the 
Duke of Bexar in his campaign on the Levant, proving himself an able and gallant general, 
and it is probable the town was named in honor of him, whether on account of the Sanchez 
family, one of whom founded it, being descended from this gallant general, conde and grandee 
of Spain, or directly in memory of the condc, is not certainly known. 

Captain Sanchez came from the Alamo on the Salado River with a number of families in 
search of a place to settle, and, being dissatisfied with the place on the Nueces, he obtained 

permission to locate, and re- 
mained several years before his 
little settlement Avas formally 
recognized as a town, in 1767. 

The royal commission, called 
"Visita General," in that year laid 
out the town, sfivino- it four 
leagues of land, — two on each 
side of the Rio Grande, — and 
laid off above and below the 
town tract, on both sides, the 
tracts now called porciones, dis- 
tributing them to the settlers. 
Since that time Laredo has been 
recognized as a town with mu- 
nicipal powers. In the earlier 
days of its e.xistence, savage 
Indians continually committed 
depredations on the surrounding 
country, and robbed the people 
of their horses and cattle ; but the citizens, inured to such hardships, often chastised the savages 
and killed many of them in battle, always maintaining a justly merited reputation for skill, 
courage, and gallantry. Laredo was a kind of supply station during the Texas revolution, 
but took no very active part in the war. It remained under the control of Mexico, as a part of 
Tamaulipas, until 1846, when it was divided into two towns, Nuevo Laredo, on the Mexican side, 
remaining a quiet, progressive town, whose principal industry has been stock-raising, horses, 
cattle, and sheep ; and several handsome fortunes have been made in it. 

While we were in Tamaulipas, Seiior Don Alejandro Prieto was the governor, and extended 
to us many courtesies. To his wisdom and activity the state owes a fine penitentiary, a beauti- 
ful government palace, and many other substantial improvements. His term having expired 
since then, Senor Guadalupe Mainero is now governor of Tamaulipas, and is carrying on with 
great ability the excellent system of government to which he has succeeded. 

The Tamaulipan Mexicans are brave, daring patriots, who are zealous to a man for the 
integrity and independence of their country. This state was the nucleus of the heroic army 
of the north during the French campaign, and the stoic bravery of the Tamaulipan soldiers will 
never be forgotten in the history of the siege and fall of Oueretaro ; many of their illustrious 
names will ever stand for the bravest and most inflexible of patriots.- 




Plaza, Tampico 



NUEVO LEON 



205 



CHAPTER XXII 



NUEVO LEON 



#^1-^^ UEVO LEON is an inland state, bordering on Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and San 
■ I ■ Luis Potosi. It has an area of about fifteen thousand square miles, and a popu- 
II W lation of about three hundred thousand. Its surface is irregular, as several 
^1 £^ branches of the Sierra JNIadre range come into it, and about one-fourth of the 
state forms a part of the great central table-land of Mexico. Its extensive and 
beautiful valleys are divided between forest, 
pasture-land, and cultivated fields, which are 
intersected by numerous and precipitous rivers 
and streams. Among the larger of the rivers 
are the Salado, forming a boundary between 
Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, the Sabinas, Salinas, 
Santa Catalina, San Juan, Ramos, Pilon, Li- 
nares, and Blanco, besides which are number- 
less mountain streams and several small lakes, 
so that the state is exceedingly well watered. 

Mineral productions abound in the moun- 
tains, and include gold, silver, copper, lead, 
iron, and cinnabar. Sulphur, nitrate of potash, 
several varieties of sulphate of lime, alabaster, 
and marble are also found, while salt is very 
abundant. Sulphur and thermal springs abound, 
especially near Monterey and Morelos. 

The climate is hot and humid in the low- 
lands and some of the valleys, temperate in 
the elevated regions, and varied in the hill- 
regions. The soil is fertile, and yields three 
crops a year of maize, sugar-cane, and beans 
{frijoles). Wheat and barley are raised to 
advantage, although not so thoroughly and 
extensively as they might be. Manufacturing 
is carried on quite extensively, cotton cloths, 

hats, furniture, and shoes, all of excellent quality and st)'le, being the principal results. Steam- 
power is used in many manufactories, and in the weaving establishments several thousand 
workers are employed. 

There are good public and private schools, a civil college, a female college, and a seminary. 




Senor General Bernardo Reyes, 

Governor of Nuevo Le6n 



206 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 




Saddle Mountain. 



In colonial times this state 
was called the Kingdom of 
Nuevo Leon, and divided into 
\\\n& partidos, or districts, — Mon- 
terey, Cadereita, Villaldama, 
Salinas, Victoria, Doctor Ar- 
royo, Garcia, Morelos, Cerralvo, 
and Linares. The cajaital is 
Monterey. Other chief towns 
are Cadereita, Linares, and 
Morelos 

Every one has heard of 
Monterey, the Chicago of Mex- 
ico The city has attracted un- 
usual attention both in Mexico 
and in the L'nited States, and in- 
terest in it is increasing. Prior 
to 1890 it was the nearest point 
to the frontier that afforded the traveller from the United States an opportunity to peep into 
the life of a strange and interesting people : so that Monterey became more widely known than 
any other point in the Mexican republic. In 18S9 the present governor, General Bernardo 
Reyes, assumed office, and from that date its progress has been rapid and striking. He has 
been re-elected several times, and has so well gained the confidence of the people that his failure 
or refusal to continue to serve as executive of the state would be regarded as a calamity. 

The clim.ate is perfect. The atmosphere is never chilled with frost, unless when it steals in 
at long intervals like a thief in the night, to disappear in the darkness ere the sun has risen. 
Such a thino; as snow is unknown 
in the valley of Montere)', and 
is seen only rarely on the peaks 
of the mountains which sur- 
round the city ; neither, from 
the rising- to the setting- of the 
sun, does the thermometer CA^er 
descend to the freezing-point, 
and it is rarely that the condi- 
tion of the atmosphere prevents 
the weakest and most delicate 
consumptive from sitting or 
jDromenading in the plazas and 
inhaling the fragrance exhaled 
by the flowers which always 
grow out-doors in profusion and 
gladden and cheer and exhila- 
rate the invalid. 

Monterey is indeed charm- 
ing beyond description. Nature 




San Pedro Mines, Diente Canon, near Monterey. 



NUEl'O LE6N 



207 



is vested in gladness, expressed by beauty and wealth of color over which flows the mellow 
radiance of a semi-tropical sunshine. And when to such conditions are added the music which 
draws the populace to the public promenades on Thursda)-s and Sundays — supplied \\ithout 
expense to the citizens, as is the delightful custom — and the outpouring- of the fair and the 
bra\-e, is it surprising that all should find contentment, e\'en those who as strangers turn their 
thoughts sometimes to their homes in the chilly and frozen north ? 

Monterey is rich in mountain treasures, and in time will be the city in which the wealth 
from the mountains will be in\'ested. It will grow in population and become a cit)' of beautiful 
homes, homes into which the warm sunshine and the fragrance of flowers will penetrate in 
winter as well as in summer. 

It was a quaint old city, but has been made over, and now has all sorts of modern improve- 
ments ; and it is surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountain scener)' in the world. 

Monterey is fifteen hundred feet above sea-le\'el. The streets are regular, well kept, and 
well lighted ; the houses are well built and tasteful both in architecture and in interior decora- 




Statue of Hidalgo. 



tion. The principal square has a marble fountain by native artisans. Among notable edifices 
are the cathedral, the handsomest church in the republic, and the municipal and government 
palaces. There are also a fine hospital, a good prison, an abattoir, a seminaiy, two colleges, 
and plenty of public and private schools. 

New vitrified brick pavements, a complete water-system, electric railwa)-s, and modern 
hotels are but parts of the grand plan which will make Monterey an important centre of "the 
coming country." 



208 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Monterey is still a Mexican cit}^ however, and its government is still distinctly Mexican ; 
but I am happy to add that its government, and indeed the government of the whole state of 
Nuevo Leon, of which it is the capital, is liberal as well as Mexican, or Mexican plus American 
enterprise. This is seen even in superficial things and national customs. One of the customs 
of the country seen in every Mexican city is for the men and women to parade the wide walks 
surrounding its central plazas twice or three times per week to the music of a military band, the 
men marching together upon one side of the walk and the women marching in an opposite 
direction on the other. This is an old custom, but the men are dressed to-day as the same class 
of men would be in New York City, and the silent pantomime of incipient courtship is conducted 
beneath the electric light of modern days casting its lights and shades through ancient orange- 
trees and oaks, and glistening in every drip of the playing fountains. It Is the old and the new 
combined. But the change is seen in more than these superficial aspects. The old Mexican 

business of silver minino- has 
been modernized. Where but 
a few years ago there stood 
smelters handling daily two or 
three tons of earth brought on 
ox-carts and carried out of the 
mines on the backs of men, now 
is heard the puff of the locomo- 
tive bringing the ores to the new 
smelters that can absorb twenty 
car-loads per day. 

One should not visit Monte- 
rey without taking a bath in the 
famous Topo Chico hot springs. 
These are situated about a half- 
hour's ride on the street-car 
from Monterey, and are noted 
in Mexico and Texas as the Hot 
Springs in Arkansas are noted 
in the United States. The large 
spring rises in the centre of one of the hotels of Topo Chico, and fills the stone tank, which is 
twenty by thirty feet square and ten feet in depth. The water is said to be of great medicinal 
value in rheumatism and kindred diseases. 

The Casino, Monterey's social club, is one of the finest club-buildings in the world. 
Again, do not leave Monterey without visiting places of historic interest. Of these, there 
stands prominently before one the bishop's palace on the foot-hills of the mountains west of the 
city. On these hills were placed the Mexican cannon that were to protect the city from the 
attack of General Taylor in 1846. Ten of the cannon are there yet, spiked and dismounted, 
and the deserted bishop's palace shows the marks of thousands of Taylor's bullets. 

Morelos, or Monte Morelos, is about seventy miles southwest of Monterey, and is two 
thousand feet above sea-level. The original name of the city was San Mateo del Pilon. The 
old portion is in ruins, but the modern part has wide, regular streets, substantial buildings, and 
court-yards tastefully laid out with trees and flowers. Streams of purest water abound in the 
city. There are several churches, public schools, and manufacturing establishments. 




Swan-Pond in the Alameda Porfirio Diaz, Monterey. 



NUEVO LEON 



209 




Street Scene in Monterey. 



Southward from Monterey, 
on the Mexican National Road, 
the scenery begins in earnest. 
The track follows the narrow val- 
ley of the San Juan, deep cut as 
if hewn from the towering rocks 
for a Titan roadway, now re- 
duced to the uses of the modern 
railway, whose pigmy trains are 
insignificant as compared with 
the o-iorantic surroundino- rocks ; 
and the cuts seem a misfit for 
even the ponderous locomotives 
that awaken the echoes as they, 
toiling, climb the resisting grade. 
The noisy little Rio San Juan 
foams and frets, first on this 
side, then on the other, as the 
track crosses from one side of 
the canon to the other to find easier ways to get over the hills. The little hamlet of Garcia, 
sometimes called Pesqueria, is just below Santa Catarina, both places being objects of excur- 
sions by rail and carriage from Monterey. There are two caves at Garcia, and from the left 
windows of the cars a careful look will find a curious hole through the crest of the mountains, 
as if made by a monster cannon-shot. The wildness of scenery grows as the train rolls on 
through the ever-narrowing canon, and each turn brings some new picture grander and more 
beautiful than that other just back around the curve. 

The town or village of ]VJ|;2iico that has not its legend is unworthy of its name. Wherever 

the train stops, during the few 
minutes it stays at the station 
a bit of legend is hurriedly told, 
and if the starting-bell inter- 
rupts the story the conductor or 
trainmen will tell the rest. The 
legends are of history, sacred 
and profane, not confined to 
earth, but reaching the heavens 
above and the waters beneath 
it ; and from the vast)- deep the 
spirits have been called. If you 
doubt it, eviciences are shown in 
the bridge at Monterey, where 
the Virgin stood and held at 
bay the invading Americans in 
'47, or the stone cases at Guada- 
lupe that encase the sails and 
foremast that the sailors carried 




Alameda, Monterey. 



14 



2IO 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



from Vera Cruz and erected in front of the Virgin's holiest shrine, as they had vowed to do if 
she would save them from shipwreck. The rocks are shown whence Juan Medina leaped, and 
tihe Mexican National cars run over the spot where he fell ; and the famous Titian at Tzint- 
zuntzan, near Patzcuaro, has its legend as well as authenticated history. And thus, at this 
station or that, all along the line, some new story is told. 

A visit to the San Pedro mine in Diente Canon, which nets about one thousand dollars per 
day, is a delightful experience. The mouth of the mine is four thousand feet above Monterey 
City and within one thousand feet of the top of the mountain. What a valley ! What scraggy 
heights : What millions on millions of tons of ore in the depths of the mountains ! Through 
a long tunnel dug in solid rock, lighted by electricity, we turn into side chambers, and there the 




Topo Chico Hot Springs, Monterey. 



ore surrounds us. But what do we see? Here also is modern Mexico. Here is the electric 
dynamo hoisting the ore from the chambers one hundred and fifty feet in depth. The old mine 
three hundred years old and originally worked by the Spanish conquerors is now lighted by an 
American-made machine, while the former conqueror has not the power to-day to hold the last 
of her possessions on the American continent. Up the mountain canon there are massive 
structures of wood and stone to support the cable for carrying the ore from the mouth of the 
mine and depositing it in the cars below. The cable is seven thousand two hundred feet in 
length, and swings its cars in many places two hundred or two hundred and fifty feet above the 
rocks below. The cable cost eighty-five thousand dollars. 

Our visit to the San Pedro mines in company with Mr. Horace Gibson forms one of the 
pleasantest memories of our trip through Mexico. We had gone to Monterey to visit Governor 



NUEVO LEON 



21 I 



Reyes, arriving there early in the morning-. The governor was at the San Pedro mine, hundreds 
of feet above us. We could see the gox'ernor's cottage from the railway station perched high 
up on the mountain, and were soon on our way thither in a special train. It was ten o'clock 
when we reached the mines and received a royal welcome from Nuevo Leon's noble governor. 
After a pleasant trip through the mines, we were given one of the finest dinners, up among 
those clouds, that we ever enjoyed in all our travels in the United States or in European capi- 
tals. And after a charming visit of several hours with the governor's most interesting famil)', we 
mounted our horses and descended the mountain, while the slanting rays of the westering sun 
threw a charm of romance over this wonderful scene. 

General Don Bernardo Reyes, the governor of Nuevo Leon, is loved and respected 
throughout the Mexican republic. To him is owing not only the wonderful growth of Monterey 
but also a great part of the progress of the state of Nuevo Leon. Some of the developments 
of his administration are the public schools and the buildings for the study of medicine and juris- 
prudence. He it was too who added the extensive iron galleries around the market ; through 




Canal in Monterey. 



his influence the Alameda was improved and beautified with a kiosk and two artistic fountains, 
new pavements, and iron seats ; under his administration the Juarez bridge and the peniten- 
tiary were built, wath the aqueducts providing drinking-water for the park and the penitentiary ; 
and under him the plazas of Zaragoza and Hidalgo were paved with artificial stone and the 
two great promenades constructed at the north of the capital. 

Public instruction, especially, has been greatly developed under Governor Reyes. Large 
sums of money are yearly spent by the state government for educational purposes. There are 
some three hundred primary schools under the charge of the cities of Nuevo Leon, with high 
schools and professional schools superintended by the state. The law regulates the courses of 
study, and, in fact, all matters connected with the schools. In this connection may be mentioned 
a state public library, which is constantly enriched and kept up to the times. It is readily 
inferred that Nuevo Leon is one of the most advanced states in the Mexican republic. Its his- 
tory has many brilliant pages, and on its soil many notable men have drawn the first breath of life. 



2 12 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XXIII 

COAHUILA 

COAHUILA lies just west of Nuevo Leon and east of the state of Chihuahua, having 
an area of fifty-eight thousand nine hundred and twenty square miles. It is the 
third largest state in the Mexican republic. The main line of the Mexican Inter- 
national Railway traverses the entire state. The population of this state is about 
one million and a quarter, and its resources are unbounded. Some of the richest 
mines in the republic are found within its limits ; the Sierra Mojada mines, for instance, having 
an output of over twenty thousand tons a month, while in the Mula range there are mines 
yielding thousands of tons per month. The location of smelters within the republic has given 
an impetus to the mining of lower grades of ore, and thousands of tons are shipped monthly 
to the San Luis Potosi and Monterey plants. The location of large smelters on the line of the 
Mexican International Railroad and the opening of the Durango extension have opened mines 
of fabulous wealth. Sixty miles from Torreon is the famous Cuencame mining range. 

A Belgian syndicate, under the name of the Compania Carbon de Piedras Negras, is 
working the Fuente coal-mines. It has one hundred and thirty thousand acres of coal land, 
and has a tap line of two miles connecting the mines with the Mexican International Railroad. 

Alonof the line of the Mexican International Railroad are some of the finest health and 
pleasure resorts in the world. Health-seekers should try Mexico's famous hot springs at Her- 
manas. The town nestles among the hills, and the location of the springs — some two hundred 
yards from the railroad track — is ideal. They are the largest springs of hot mineral water on 
the continent, and, flowing out of the hill-side, form a river of hot, clear water, which passes 
through the finest grove of guisache-trees in Northern Mexico. The natural temperature of 
the water is i io° F. Physicians recommend these waters in preference to those of the Arkansas 
springs. They "cure all," affording relief to all those who are afflicted by blood-poisoning, 
scrofula, rheumatism, etc. San Antonio's leading physicians recommend the water for cancer, 
as well as for the diseases just mentioned. Hermanas has other attractions. With unexcelled 
scenery, the climate is invigorating ; there are no dews at night, and the dry but not hot atmos- 
phere renders the place a consumptive's elysium. The mountains rising to the east and west, 
with their deep ravines, have plenty of game, and the pellucid waters of the Rio Salado repay 
the angler his casting there. 

The surface of Coahuila is rougrh, several ranges of mountains crossing it from northwest 
to southeast. The only plain of any extent is on the western side, and is called the Bolson de 
Mapimi, from its peculiar formation, having no opening except on the north. Several tribes of 
savage Indians live in this vicinity, and formerly interfered seriously with farming and mining 
interests. A large part of the state consists of rough, mountainous country, with much good 
grazing land. 



COAHUILA 



21 



In the Bolson de Mapimi are the lakes Caiman and Parras. The river Mapimi flows into 
Caiman, and the Rio Grande del Parras into Parras. Other rivers tributary to the Rio Grande 
are the Salado, Sabinas, Toya, and Meteros ; none of them are large. Silver-mines e.\ist in 
the mountains, and offer great opportunities for development. The tillage lands yield abun- 
dantly of wheat, maize, and barley. In the southern part of the state are large maguey planta- 
tions, and the vicinity of Parras is famous 
for its vineyards and the excellent quality 
of their wine. Brandy of remarkably good 
quality is made there also. These, with 
coarse cloths and potteries, are as yet the 
principal products of Coahuila. 

Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila, is 
reached by the Mexican National Railroad. 
It is a well-built city on the Rio Tigre, four 
hundred and thirty-five miles from the city 
of Mexico. The town, which now numbers 
some twenty thousand inhabitants, was 
founded in 1586, and incorporated as a city 
by Leon Vicario in 1827. The govern- 
ment house and the parish church are the 
chief edifices of interest. The annual fair 
held in Saltillo, lasting eight days, is largely 
attended from all parts of the state, and 
makes a <g^nQX2X fiesta most popular with all. 
Saltillo is celebrated for its grood wine and 
the many and brightly colored serapes, the 
pride of the Mexican's wardrobe, prized 
more highly than the overcoat of the Ameri- 
can or the top-coat of the Englishman. To 
own a serape of Saltillo is to possess the 
best and most artistically woven in intricate 

colors that can be produced, with all the factories of Mexico striving to imitate those hand- 
woven in Saltillo. The climate of Saltillo is fine. The town is at its best in summer, and has 
claims as a resort at all seasons. There are an especially fine plaza and a cathedral. These 
and the long stone aqueduct which brings the city's water-supply from the mountains, the old 
French fort, the gardens, and the orchard, are objects of interest to the tourist. 

A few miles south of Saltillo is the battle-field of Buena Vista. Still on the up-grade, the 
railway train reaches the summit at Carneros, where the company has a coaling station. At 
Carneros the descent to the plain commences. Just before leaving the hills the village of 
Gomez Farias is pointed out on the right, once the home of a noted brigand, and now inhabited 
by his better-behaved descendants. 

In quest of a quiet, recreative spot yielding health and pleasure, where the days are bright 
and warm without being oppressive and the nights delightfully cool, one may well try the 
Mexican Alpine city of Parras. Flanked on the southwest by the magnificent mass of the 
Sierra Mojada, five thousand feet from base to summit, and on the other sides by mountain- 
chains of lower elevation, the upland valley in which Parras, like a "sleeping beauty," lies is 




Senor Lie. Miguel Cardenas, 

Governor of Coahuila. 



214 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



one of the most charming in all Mexico. Its height above sea-level is five thousand and thirty- 
three feet ; its mountain air is dry and invigorating ; its temperature during the hottest month 
of the year 1889 was at the highest 88 degrees, and at the lowest 55 degrees — the very atmos- 
phere to breathe after the somewhat relaxing summer heat of Southwest Texas. Parras has 
many attractions. Shady lanes, with roseclad hedges, by running streams afford pleasant drives 
and walks ; tajos, long and deep, tap the inexhaustible reservoirs of water underneath the 
adjacent hills, and a net-work of ditches irrigates the entire valley below. Extensive bodegas 
may be visited, where about six hundred thousand gallons of Parras wine are annually sold ; 




City of Saltillo. 



and pure, undoctored wine can be had in the city at five cents per tumbler. But it is in July, 
August, September, and October that Parras is most attractive, for then its vineyards are laden 
with ripening grapes. 

Parras is not vainly called the "Garden of Coahuila." It is a picturesque little paradise, 
an oasis in the desert, a rose in the crown of Mexico. 

From Tescalco there is a full view of the beautiful valley of Parras. In front is the road 
from Paila windino; throug-h the hills. To the rioht lies the Hacienda del Rosario, with its cotton- 
mill, one of the largest in the republic, its immense vineyards, and its extensive bodega, in which 
every year are stored from twenty thousand to thirty thousand gallons of excellent wine. To 
the left is a range of the Sierra Madre, the highest peak of which boasts an elevation of ten 
thousand feet. Below lies Parras, the quaint little old Mexican town ; it has about ten thousand 
inhabitants, and looks rather queer to American eyes. Its better houses are all built in Moorish 
style, the court-yard generally a flower-garden in the middle of the house, the rooms built 



COAHUILA 



215 



around it, windows and doors opening into it, and very few out upon the street. This is very 
characteristic of Mexican life, where you seldom see the ladies outside of the house, and where 
it is very difficult for a stranger to gain admittance into the family circle. The flat roofs are 
made of hard, stamped soil, and give generally sufficient protection, as there is very little rain 
here. The rainy season is in July, August, and September, with a nice shower in the afternoon 
which makes the air delightfully cool and bracing. Soon after the rain is over one can go every- 
where, as mud is almost unknown. There is a cave with a wooden cross on it, where on the 
15th of August, 1594, the first mass in this region was celebrated. Inside the cave there was 



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Plaza de San Francisco, Saltillo. 



only room for the priest, his dusky congregation, consisting of Indians of different tribes, kneel- 
ine or standing outside amono- the rocks, some looking at the image of the Christian God with 
loving devotion, others with ill-concealed mistrust, comparing it mentally with fierce Huitzilo- 
pochtli, their god of war, to whom, every spring, were sacrificed thousands of human beings. 

Tescalco is situated on the south side of the Plaza de Armas, a pretty square with ever- 
green trees and a sparkling fountain in the middle. The flower-beds are surrounded by rose- 
hedges, the broad walks between them paved with slate, just as it is brought from tlie quarr}-, in 
all manner of shapes. Even the floors of the houses are mostly made in this fashion. Nearly 
every house has its vineyard, and these, the wealth of Parras, stretch far out to the foot-hills. 
Many of these vineyards are hedged in by centifolia roses and elderberry, forming the lovely 
little lanes in which we so delight to ramble. A little white chapel on the top of a hill is the 
first sign of Parras, in whatever direction you approach. To reach it one must ascend a steep, 
rocky path, and pass through the strangely-shaped rock that crowns the hill, by a flight of 



2l6 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



steps roughly cut out oi it. On reaching the small plateau in front of the chapel there is a 
mao-nificent view, which fully repays one for the fatiguing ascent. In the chapel there is a large, 
old cross, which stood on the summit of the hill long before the chapel was built. Every spring 
about fifteen men dressed in Indian style, colored feathers on their heads, small mirrors on 
their chests, bring this cross, decorated with garlands of fresh flowers, down to the parroquia 
(principal church). Here it is newly consecrated, and then taken up again to the chapel. 
In descending and ascending with the cross the men, called Matachines, perform an Indian 
dance to the rhythm of a drum and flute. After having replaced the cross, the Matachines 
dance the remainder of the day under an arbor made of fresh boughs of trees. Nearly half the 
population of Parras assist at this ceremony or are spectators of it. 

One thing Parras can really be proud of and that is its unsurpassed climate. The winters 
are mild and dry. In December and January there may be a little cold spell, which lasts two or 

three days, but the cold is hardly 
felt during the day in the warm 
brieht sunshine which seldom 
fails. Perhaps three or four 
times every winter the quick- 
silver falls below freezing-point, 
but, as a rule, this happens only 
at sunrise. Agiiacates, bananas, 
lemons, and oranges grow, al- 
thourfi the summer sun is not 
fiery enough to make them 
sweet. All these trees, as well 
as the oleander, bloom during 
the winter ; so do roses, violets, 
and eeraniums in the gardens. 
Grape-vines covered with fresh 
young leaves and peach-trees 
in bloom at Christmas-time are 
not uncommon. The stranger 
wonders how everything can 
look so fresh and green when 
there is so little rain, — sometimes in nine months hardly a good shower. Although the soil is 
exceedingly fertile, the people would not be able to raise anything without irrigation. There 
are in the southeast some springs which, if left alone, would form quite a river ; as it is, they 
are put into leading-strings and made to do duty from their earliest infancy. A part of the 
water is led through ditches to the vineyards for irrigation ; the other, by far the larger part, is 
gathered in a large tank back of a cotton-mill, to which it furnishes power and then irrigates 
the lower portion of the vineyards and fields. This water, however, is not sufficient to irrigate 
the whole valley, and to supply this want enterprising men have built tajos, — i.e., tunnels opened 
at the foot of these rocky hills and driven into them horizontally. Although labor is very cheap 
(an ordinary laborer not earning more than thirty-seven cents per day), these tajos cost immense 
sums of money, as they have to be worked often for years before they produce a sufficient flow. 
The construction of the Mexican International Railroad was a very important event in the 
state of Coahuila. It penetrated a country that is rich In mineral and agricultural resources. 




PORTALES, SaLTILLO. 



COAHUILA 



217 



The state affords splendid inducements to the miner, manufacturer, and ag-riculturist, as well as 
to the home-seeker, the pleasure-seeker, or the health-seeker. The prosperous condition of 
the various enterprises situated on and adjacent to the line of this road testifies beyond ques- 
tion to the practicability of profitable investment. 

Ciudad Porfirio Diaz, named in honor of the president of the republic of Mexico, is the 
northern terminus of the road, and one of the most enterprising cities on the Me.xican border. 
The custom-house and post-ofifice buildings, including other federal offices, are splendid speci- 
mens of modern architecture, and perhaps the finest public buildings in the republic. The 
International Club, a handsome and substantial building, equipped with a modern gj-mnasium, 
an elaborate reading-room constandy supplied with the leading periodicals and dailies of Me.xico, 
the United States, and England, a bowling-alley, a billiard-room, and a tennis-court, furni.shes 
pleasant and profitable diversion for the habitues. The Mexican International Reservation is one 
of the most attractive features of 
the city. It abounds in beautiful 
homes, which are rented exclu- 
sively to the railroad employees 
at minimum rates. 

Fuente, four miles from 
Ciudad Porfirio Diaz, is a quaint 
and attractive village, located on 
the picturesque Rio Escondido 
in the fertile Rio Grande valley, 
which is so well adapted to agri- 
culture. Cotton, corn, and wheat 
are raised in great abundance 
and find ready and profitable 
markets. The famous Fuente 
coal-mines, ' which contain an 
almost inexhaustible supply of 
coal, are located at this point. 

Nava, twenty-five miles, and 
AUende, thirty-two miles, from 
Ciudad Porfirio Diaz, are situ- 
ated in a rich agricultural region, susceptible of the highest cultivation, by virtue of the ample 
supply of water w^hich, at a minimum cost, may be utilized for irrigation. This section is par- 
ticularly adapted to the raising of cotton, corn, and wheat. The enterprising agriculturist could 
scarcely find a more desirable section for investment. 

Sabinas, seventy-two miles from Ciudad Porfirio Diaz, is situated on the Sabinas River in 
the Sabinas valley, noted for its fine grazing lands, especially the great Hacienda Soledacl, its 
rich vegetation, and its abundant water-supply. A branch road extends from Sabinas to Hondo 
and Felipe, a distance of twelve or thirteen miles, where are the prolific Sabinas valley coal- 
mines, from which coal is shipped to all parts of the republic, and also exported, to some extent, 
to the United States. The production is now twenty thousand tons per month. At Hondo, 
the Coahuila Coal Company manufacture about one hundred tons of coke per day. 

Monclova, one hundred and forty-eight miles from Ciudad Porfirio Diaz, formerly the 
capital of Coahuila and Texas when they formed one state, is an attracti\e city of about fifteen 




i'ENITENTIARY, SaLTILLO. 



2l8 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



thousand inhabitants. It is the centre of an extensive and paying mining region. A railway 
line from this point to the rich mining region of the Sierra Mojada, one hundred and fifty-nine 
miles distant, will pass through Cuatro Cienegas, forty-seven miles from Monclova, and the 
centre of a section splendidly adapted to the purpose of colonization, — land rich and cheap, 
water plentiful, and climate unsurpassed. It is, perhaps, the best wheat region in Mexico ; and, 

there being only a few wheat-producing dis- 
tricts in the republic, no industry guarantees a 
quicker, surer, and more profitable return for 
the amount invested. Grapes of many varie- 
ties and of the best quality are raised in great 
abundance with very little labor. Several colo- 
nization companies have this section in view, 
and it is only a question of time when it will 
become one of the most popular and desirable 
in the republic. 

Trevino is the junction of the Mexican 
International and Monterey and Mexican Gulf 
Railroads. The former has located a line from 
or near this point to Monterey, which will be 
completed in the near future. This line, in con- 
nection with the branch from Monclova to Sierra 
Mojada, will bring that inexhaustible mining 
camp in direct connection with Monterey, the 
oreat smeltine centre of Mexico. 

Jaral is noted for its spicy and exhilarating 
air. At this point connection is made by stage 
with Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila, forty-five 
miles distant. 

From Paila there is a stage line which 
passes through the rich haciendas of San Carlos 
and Lorenzo. Parras, by virtue of its almost 
perfect climate, its abundance of fruit of every variety, its pure water, picturesque mountain 
scenery, and magnificent foliage, is destined to become one of the most popular winter and 
summer resorts on the American continent. A branch Hne will no doubt be constructed from 
Paila to Parras at no distant day. Contiguous to this point are some of the largest and most 
productive haciendas and vineyards in Mexico. A feature of this place is the excellence and 
cheapness of its wines and brandy. The best quality of grape brandy, which is equal (being 
absolutely pure), if not superior, to French cognac, may be purchased at three cents per drink. 
From Hornos a branch line extends to San Pedro, fourteen miles north. This latter point 
is in the great Laguna district, famous for its large production of cotton. The plant produces 
from five to ten years without renewal. Many thousand bales are annually shipped from this 
point. The famous Viesca salt-mines, which are well-nigh inexhaustible, and which supply salt 
to points all over the republic, are only a few miles south of Hornos. 

Torreon, three hundred and eighty-five miles from Ciudad Porfirio Diaz, is the junction of 
the Mexican International and Mexican Central Railways. This point has experienced a phe- 
nomenal commercial growth in the last few years. Torreon is a city of about eleven thousand 




Park Zaragoza, Saltillo. 



COAHUILA 



219 



inhabitants, with wide streets and sidewalks, and with a fine prospect for the future, being the 
youngest city of its size in the republic. The surrounding country is one of the great cotton 
belts of the south, and is thoroughly irrigated and cultivated. A large cotton-factory, oil-mills, 
soap-factory, flouring-mill, and ice-factory are in successful operation here, together with the 
other manufacturing and mercantile establishments usually found in cities of this size. 

Not many miles from Torreon is Tlahualilo, which has been made famous as the place of 
an experiment to utilize negroes as farm-laborers. A fuller account of the growth of this suc- 
cessful colonization company, with its wonderful cotton-fields and factories, will be found in 
another part of this volume. 

The state of Coahuila has attained commendable progress under the statesman-like guar- 
dianship of Governor Lie. Don Miguel Cardenas. His excellency is a member of the Mexican 
bar, has been a member of the legislature, and has had careful political training for his high 
office. He is a man of wealth and education, and always wins an enviable reputation among 
visiting- foreigners. He found the public treasury nearly empty, but under his administration 
a handsome balance is now always on hand. Public instruction has made rapid strides under 
his fostering care ; every town in the state has now one or more good primary schools, with 
several in Saltillo. The State Normal School in the latter place is also a great aid to the cause 
of education in Coahuila. 

Mining interests have been developed extensively during the Cardenas administration. 
The projection of new railroads into mining regions and the lowering of state contributions 
are doing much to further the success of mining- interests in Coahuila. Land business is 
rapidly increasing, and great stock lands in the northern portion are being developed by Ameri- 
can and English capital. 




220 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XXIV 



CHIHUAHUA 



CHIHUAHUA is the largest state in the repubHc of Mexico, having an area of one 
hundred and five thousand two hundred and ninety-five square miles. It is bounded 
on the east by Coahuila, south by Durango, and west by Sinaloa and Sonora. The 
Rio Grande separates it from the United States on the north. A prolongation of 
the Sierra Madre range of mountains covers the western part of the state, and is 
rich in mineral deposits ; these mountains in some parts are one hundred and seventy-five miles 
in breadth. The plains a\'erage four thousand to five thousand feet above the sea-level, while 

the mountain-tops rarely rise more than a 
thousand feet higher, except in instances where 
some of the peaks reach an altitude of eight 
thousand feet. The Conchos and the Verde 
are the most important rivers. The valleys 
are very fertile and support large herds of 
cattle ; in fact, stock-raisino; is the sfreatest in- 
dustry in the state, rivalled only by its mining 
interests. The soil especially in the region 
bordering the eastern slope of the Sierra 
Madre is reputed the richest in the state. 
The vine is successfully cultivated ; cotton is 
raised also ; but the chief agricultural resources 
lie in the enormous herds of cattle, sheep, 
horses, and mules. 

Chihuahua mines have been celebrated 
for centuries, and contain gold, silver, copper, 
iron, tin, and lead ; but the most noted are the 
silver-mines of Batopilas, Jesus Maria, and EI 
Parral in the Sierra Madre, and those of Santa 
Eulalia in the plain just out of Chihuahua City. 
In fact, Chihuahua is one of the richest states 
in deposits of every kind. Numerous and im- 
portant exploitations of silver ore have been 
made. The principal ones are those of Parral, 
worked by several companies, and which pro- 
duce annually more than one million dollars' worth of silver ; Batopilas, where an American 
company produces about one million dollars a year from seventy mines in silver ; Cosihuiriachic, 




Senor Coronel Don Miguel Ahumada, 

Governor of Chihuahua. 



CHIHUAHUA 



221 



where another American company produces six hundred thousand dollars a year ; Pinos Altos, 
where an English company produces six hundred thousand to seven hundred thousand dollars 
in silver and gold, and numbers of others. 

A very important gold deposit at Orro Colorado, near Batopilas, consists of a mass of 
porphyry in which the gold is disseminated very irregularly throughout its entire body, the 
average yield of metal being about one ounce per ton. The mountain, which is about fifteen 
hundred metres long, more than one thousand wide, and five hundred high, is penetrated in 
every direction by veins of soapstone, and everywhere in this neighborhood gold is in the 
greatest abundance. By crude hand processes rich ores are worked which give eleven to four- 
teen pounds per ton ; and these are the only ores which are treated, the poor ones being 
reserved to be worked by a large establishment in course of construction, power for which is to 
be furnished by the river Batopilas, about a mile from the mine. 

The ride over the Mexican Central route from El Paso clown through Chihuahua furnishes 
picturesque scenery not to be out-rivalled anywhere in the world. The table-lands, with their 
long parallel mountain-ranges, make an ever-changing series of infinitely beautiful views. The 



distant heights are rich in 
in outline. Close at hand 
divided up into hamlets, 
with luxuriant o-ardens 
sparkling streams of pure 
the dome of a church peers 
shepherd drives white flocks 
goats or sturdy cattle ; an 
of burros and horses ; and 
ingfs which form the centre 
centre of all. Through 
one catches a glimpse of 
slanting sunlight streaming 
shining water at the bot- 
forests of cactus and yucca. 




The Arch of the Alameda, Chihuahua. 



mineral dyes and exquisite 
one may see a hacienda 
with corrals and sheepfolds, 
and upspringing wheat and 
water. Across the distance 
out among the foliage ; a 
of silken-fleeced Angora 
Indian guards his group 
the massive stone build- 
of the estate stand in the 
some break in the hills 
an exquisite valley with the 
across it and a glint of 
torn. Silent far-away cities, 
palms, and hosts of bril- 



liant flowers are always fleeting backward, until the approach to Chihuahua brings one to the 
first distinctly Mexican city. Below are purpled mountains in the distance. Two tall campaniles 
of the cathedral dominate the landscape, and low flat-roofed houses lie along the reddish horizon 
with a truly Oriental effect. Across the plain, as one rides to the town, the serapes of the horse- 
men recall the burnous of the Arab, as does also the magnificent horsemanship. Inside the 
city streets, long colonnades, Moorish arches outside the houses, offer shelter from the mid-day 
sun, and the outer w^alls are frescoed in bright blue, yellow, or red. Broad stone seats with 
high backs line the principal streets under flickering shadows, while clumps of Mexican aloes 
and prickly cactus hedge the roadways. There is a barbaric richness of ornamentation about 
the fagade of the principal church, carved in solid stone by the native artists. From its flat 
roof a beaudful prospect opens on all sides. A row of gray stone arches marks the aqueduct 
built more than two hundred years ago to convey water from the mountains. A bird's-eye view 
into the inner pordon of the adobe houses near adds strange interest to the scene. A court- 
yard below has a tiled floor, surrounding a garden bright with peach-bloom and centur)^ plants. 
Shaggy burros and picturesque children play in and out among the heavy stone arches of the 
galleries ; shadowy forms lounge against the pillars of the wall ; a woman's voice comes singing 



222 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



from the rooms beyond ; and perhaps a flock of doves rises and falls like a soft cloud above the 
roof Down the long cottonwood-fringed street horsemen in white or deep red, with flying 
parti-colored sashes, shine like blotches of color against the pale sky. 

Chihuahua was founded in 1691, and erected into a town in 17 18, when it is said to have 
had over seventy thousand inhabitants. The most noteworthy of its public edifices are the 
mao-nificent cathedral in the Plaza Mayor, built of hewn stone at a cost of eight hundred thou- 
sand dollars, which was raised by a special tax upon the Santa Eulalia mines mint, the prison, 
formerly a Jesuit convent, and the handsome aqueduct supplying the city with water. In the 
Plazuela de San Felipe is a monument commemorating the execution on the spot of the first 




The Palace, Chihuahua. 

heroes of Mexican independence. There are two hospitals, a house of correction, a military 
school, and several other schools. 

The state-house at Chihuahua is a stone building covering a square, with the regulation 
patio and wide balconies, The legislative hall is elegantly frescoed and handsomely furnished, 
and would be a credit to any state. The governor's reception-room, which is about seventy by 
thirty feet in dimensions, is carpeted with heavy velvet carpeting, and the black-walnut furniture 
is upholstered in silk velvet. The executive mansion is not only a handsome building in outside 
appearance, but inside it is furnished with an elegance commensurate with the refinement one 
finds in all the Mexican houses where wealth predominates. 

Chihuahua has a population of forty thousand, and an elevation of four thousand six hun- 
dred and forty-five feet. The view from the cathedral and the Plaza Mayor is a beautiful picture. 
In the background the purple hills ; to right and left the dark, gray, flat-roofed houses spread out 
on a brown plain ; in the foreground the gray foliage of the plaza ; these, with the great dome and 
the two high, graceful towers rising against the sky, combine to make a picture which once seen 



CHIHUAHUA 



223 



can never be forgotten. Novelty may add to its charm, but its real beauty is what makes 
a lasting impression ; after you have seen all the great landscape \'ie\vs of this land ot beauties 
you remember this as one of the finest of them all. 

As the city is built upon an elevated plain, it can be seen a long time before the station is 
reached ; and as the train does not come within a mile of the town, the passenger has a long 
look at this charming picture, which grows in beauty as the distance lessens. 

Shortly after leaving Chihuahua one approaches the smelting-works of the famous Santa 
Eulalia mine, and not far away is a great hacienda, comprising more than sixty thousand acres 
of fine land. On that estate is an adobe palace two hundred ■ feet long and one hundred and 
twenty-five feet wide. The gates and pillars are of cut stone, finely car\ed by nati\-es. It has 
beautiful towers at the angles, and a patio within 
that is as large as the plaza of some towns, and 
much more attractive. It has a yearly crop of 
seventy-five thousand bushels of wheat and of 
twenty-five thousand bushels of corn. A little 
farther on are two more haciendas, one of sixty 
thousand acres and another of one hundred and 
twenty-five thousand acres. 

Santa Rosalia is famous for its hot springs, 
which in wonderful curative properties are 
claimed by those who have used these waters 
to excel any known springs in America. These 
springs are especially noted for their wonderful 
curative properties in cases of inflammatory rheu- 
matism and all blood and skin diseases. 

Jimenez is a city of about eight thousand 
inhabitants, and is the railway shipping-point for 
the rich silver-mines of the Parral and Guanacevi 
districts. A daily stage line connects these points 
with Jimenez. 

There are two thousand people or more 
living within the precincts of the pueblo of Morris. 
This place is situated about six leagues northwest 
of Jesus Maria, at the junction of the Santa 
Maria and Morris Rivers. The town being 
located in a lovely valley, well watered and with 

lands extremely fertile, the farms produce with li'tde or no labor abundant crops of corn, wheat, 
etc., to say nothing of oranges, sugar-cane, bananas, figs, grapes, etc. It is one of the best 
located towns in the sierras. The residents are kind-hearted and hospitable in the extreme, as 
many an American can testify. They are about two hours' journey from the Santa Maria 
mines, where they are taking out and milling some good gold ore, and about three hours' ride 
(mule-back) from El Socorro mines. 

About one day's journey away are situated the celebrated Carmen mines, also La Cruz, 
both producing good ores. On the river Carichic, about one and a half days' journey away, 
is situated the mill of an American company, that is taking out and milling with good results 
some good silver ores. 




The Cathedral, Chihuahua. 



224 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Escalon is the junction-point with the Mexican Northern Railway, running to the great 
mining district of Sierra Mojada, seventy-eight miles east, one of the largest carbonate camps 
in the world. 

General Miguel Ahumada, governor of Chihuahua, is a prominent figure and much talked 
about by railroad men and stockmen, as he who made the large shipments of cattle into the United 
States possible by the appointment of a state sanitary board and live-stock inspector, guarantee- 
ing the good health of all cattle passing through his domain. Governor Ahumada assumed the 
responsible duties of governor of the great state of Chihuahua in 1892. At that time the affairs 
of the state were in a most deplorable condition. The treasury was empty, the pay of the state 
employees was overdue several months, and a floating debt hampered the state government. 




Interior of the Palace, Chihuahua. 



The war with the Tomochis, also, was unsettled, and involved an additional and heavy outlay, to 
meet which no provision had been made. So strained were the state finances, in fact, that the 
ill influence hung over the business world as a depressing cloud, checking enterprise and 
exciting general uneasiness. Under such inauspicious circumstances General Ahumada, a 
soldier only, and that by life-long training, assumed charge of the administration of the state. 
No sooner had he taken hold of the reins of power than his sagacity and energy in his new 
role began to tell in the quickened and healthful movement throughout the organism of the state, 
and within six months a complete change had been effected in the aspect of affairs at Chihuahua. 
The Tomochis were subdued, and the authority of the government was re-established through- 
out its territory. 

Since 1 894 the governor has been conserving the state finances, fostering education, and 



CHIHUAHUA 



225 



maintaining the public peace ; so that the entire state, having regained confidence in its future, 
has progressed as never before in all branches of trade and material development. 

In addition to the new water-system, a commodious and modernly appointed public hospital 
has just been completed, while a building for the accommodation of the art school is under con- 
struction ; and a technical or industrial school for young ladies, which cannot fail to be of great 
benefit to young women who are called upon to support themselves by their own efforts, has 
just been inaugurated. 

The prison in which Hidalgo was kept after his capture here in 181 i is opposite the national 
palace. Another point of interest in Chihuahua is an ordinar)'-looking building known as the 
temple of San Francisco. In a modest chapel at its right, and on the side of the great altar, is 
a black marble slab with the following inscription : 

ON THIS .SPOT WAS DEPOSITED 

THE DECAPITATED BODY 

OF THE FATHER OF MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE, 

DON MIGUEL HIDALGO Y COSTILLA, 

SHOT IN CHIHUAHUA, JULY 3 1, 181I. 

HIS REMAINS WERE EXHUMED IN THE YEAR 1 827, 

TO BE CARRIED TO THE CITY OF MEXICO. 



Here it was that the great Father of his Country, Hidalgo, suffered martyrdom for ^Mexico, 
and on the remote northern border of this state the beloved Juarez kept alive the fire of national 
independence during the time 
of the empire. 

The people of Paso del 
Norte — of Ciudad Juarez, as it 
is called to-day — have always 
stood foremost and served as 
an example for their patriotism 
and loyalty, as history has 
demonstrated in several in- 
stances. 

After the revolution be- 
tween the Partido Liberal and 
the Partido Conservador had 
reached its culminating point, 
and Maximilian, assisted by 
the French army, was endeav- 
oring to usurp the government, 
Benito Juarez, who was then 
the constitutional president of 
the Liberal party, was driven from one place to another until he reached the remote refuge of 
Paso del Norte, to which place he came, with his cabinet and civil employees, in August, 1865. 
He came without any protection, firmly believing that in the midst of the patriots of Paso del 
Norte neither precaution nor protection was needed. 

President Juarez left Paso del Norte in November, 1865, for Chihuahua, believing he could 

35 




The Bridge of San Francisco, Chihuahua. 



226 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



establish his head-quarters there ; but he had to return again in December of that year with his 
cabinet, accompanied by Colonel Yepes, commanding some one hundred and fifty men, who formed 
the remnant of the famous " Batallon de los Supremos Poderes." From August, 1865, the time 
of the arrival of Benito Juarez, to April, 1866, when he departed for the interior, the citizens of 
Paso del Norte assisted him not only with money but also with rations and forage. After General 
Terrazas had defeated the French forces in April, 1S66, at Tavalaopa, near Chihuahua, President 
Juarez left with his cabinet and staff for Chihuahua, taking with him eighteen thousand dollars 
in money which the people of Paso del Norte had collected under extreme difficuldes to aid 
his cause. President Juarez, knowing the sacrifices the people had made to raise this money, 
returned the eio;hteen thousand dollars to the inhabitants of Paso del Norte as soon as he 




Part ok the Archway of an Old Aqueduct, Chihuahua. 

could get the money at Chihuahua. In addition to paying the loan, and desiring to make 
known to the people of Paso del Norte his appreciation of their patriotism and devotion to his 
cause, which he considered the beginning of his rising star, he passed a law exempting the 
people of Paso del Norte from paying any duties on salt, a gift from the poor to the poor ; and, 
in fact, dudes were not collected on salt at Paso del Norte until the year 1885, while the article 
paid import duties at all other places in the republic. He furthermore assured the citizens of 
Paso del Norte that when the government should be better established and again in possession 
of its resources they might always rely upon steady help as a just reward for the great and 
patriotic assistance they rendered the Liberal cause during the dark and uncertain time when 
its adherents made their head-quarters in the city. In the year 1866, when the Rio Bravo 
overflowed its banks and destroyed the farms, washing away the irrigation canals and inun- 



CHIHUAHUA 



> 27 



dating the place, President Juarez, upon learning of the calamity, setting all other urgent 
requirements aside, donated twelve thousand dollars toward repairing the damage done, which 
was given as a proof of his esteem for the town of his former refuge. The people so love his 
memory to this day that they have changed the name of their town from Paso del Norte to 
Ciudad Juarez, 

To the historian and antiquary, probably the most interesting spot in the state of Chi- 
huahua is Casas Grandes (Great Houses), a town of four or five thousand inhabitants, on the 
San Miguel River and near the Sonora line. This place is noted for its ruined houses, which 
are apparently the relics of 
some aboriginal metropolis, and 
seem to have been owned or 
constructed by the same race 
or tribe whose traces are so 
plentiful in Arizona. It is diffi- 
cult to form a correct idea of the 
original arrangement of such 
an edifice, but its main features 
seem to have been three large 
structures connected by ranges 
of corridors or low apartments 
and enclosing several court- 
yards of various dimensions. 
The extent from north to south 
must have been eight hun- 
dred feet, and from east to 
west about two hundred and 
fifty feet. A range of narrow 

rooms, lighted by circular openings near the top, and having pens or enclosures three or four 
feet high in one corner, supposed to be granaries, extends along one of the main walls. Many 
of the apartments are very large, and some of the enclosures are too vast ever to have been 
covered by a roof About two hundred feet west of the main building are three mounds of 
loose stone, which may have been burial-places, and two hundred feet west of these are the 
remains of a building one story high and one hundred and fifty feet square, consisting of a 
number of apartments ranged around a square court. For some distance south the plain is 
covered with traces of similar buildlno-s, the nature of which' cannot now be determined ; and for 
twenty leagues along the Casas Grandes and Llanos Rivers are found artificial mounds from 
which have been dug up stone axes, corn-grinders, and various articles of pottery, such as pipes, 
jars, pitchers, etc., of a texture far superior to that made by the Mexicans of the present day, 
and generally ornamented with angular figures of blue, red, brown, and black, on a red or white 
ground. The best specimens command a high price in Chihuahua and neighboring towns. On 
the summit of a mountain about ten miles from Casas Grandes are the remains of an ancient 
stone fortress, attributed to the same people that built the Casas Grandes, which may have 
been intended as a lookout. 

Mr. Alexander R. Shepherd, formerly a prominent citizen of Washington, D.C., has become 
a large owner in the great Batopilas mines, and has settled there for life. He has served as 
governor of the district. 




Hidalgo's Prison, Chihuahua. 



2 28 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

Batopilas is on the west slope of the Sierra Madre, and many miles from any railroad. 
The town of Batopilas itself near which the hacienda is situated, has only about four thousand 
inhabitants, and is located on a river of the same name, — a mountain stream, low and quiet 
during- nine months in the year, but sometimes rising to a mighty torrent in the rainy season. 
And yet, owing to the steady work in the mines, Batopilas is more advanced and has many 
more advantages than other towns in the vicinity. 

"San Miguel," the home of the Shepherds in Batopilas, is an old Spanish hacienda, large 
and roomy, with many windows opening to the ground. All the houses have only one floor or 
story, the house and ground being enclosed by a wall. The climate of Batopilas is delightful, 
and the winters are charming ; frost and snow are things unknown, and wraps are a useless 
acquisition to one's wardrobe. The country is rocky and mountainous, leaving but little land 
for agricultural purposes ; hence the American famil}' living in the valley must import canned 
goods, butter, and such staples. The surrounding Indians (Taharumari) are quiet and friendly, 
and raise a few cattle and sheep for a living. The Batopilas mines are among the richest in the 
world, although Chihuahua has several others which rank almost equally well. Humboldt pre- 
dicted, ninety years ago, that this region, lying in the western half of the state of Chihuahua and 
on the eastern side of Sonora, would prove to be the richest area of precious mineral deposits 
on the face of the globe ; and the constant discoveries and developments of to-day prove him 
to have been correct. For instance, the convoy which set out from Batopilas for Chihuahua in 
September, 1895, was composed of one ingot of gold valued at three thousand eight hundred 
and eight dollars, and silver to the value of eighty-five thousand five hundred and sixteen dollars. 
Near Urique a very rich vein exists, which becomes more regular in formation and the ore of 
which proves of a better quality the farther the excavation progresses. 

Leaving Juarez in a southwesterly direction, and crossing rolling prairies for a distance of one 
hundred and twent)' miles, you reach the great mining districts of Corralitos, Sabinal, Bismarck, 
and many other developed and undeveloped mines. As the products of operated mines in that 
district are now daily about three hundred tons of ore, varying in value from fifty to two hundred 
and fifty ounces per ton, and as there is a railroad projected through this district, with prospects 
of its being built in the near future, this wonderful ore-producing region will exceed the present 
output beyond any computation which may now be ventured, even by the most sanguine. The 
building of this railroad will open up a section five hundred miles longitudinally and one hundred 
miles latitudinally of the great Sierra Madre range, with its unlimited resources in precious 
metals ; timber-growth as varied as it is immense ; unequalled grazing for live stock ; numerous 
living springs and running currents of pure water, teeming with the finny tribe of every variety ; 
game of all kinds ; natural scenery in comparison with which all other mountain regions pale 
into insignificance ; and at the foot-hills of which are valleys, such as those of the Rio Casas 
Grandes and Rio Santa Maria, as fertile as ever yielded to the labors of the agriculturist. With 
all these advantages, what might not be calculated upon as the result of railroad connection to 
this section, with the natural development which would follow ? 

The workings of the great mines of Batopilas, those in the districts of Jesus Maria, Pinos 
Altos, Cusiguriache, Guerrera, Corralitos, Sabinal, and many others, give constant and abundant 
testimony to the forecast of the greatest of travellers and scientists. Owing to the fact that the 
Sierra Madre range was an impenetrable fortress of hostile Apaches until about five years ago, 
when they were driven out by the combined military forces of Mexico and the United States, 
this great and wonderfully rich section had been practically unknown. It was from this strong- 
hold that the Apache made his periodical forays upon the villages and haciendas in the contiguous 



CHIHUAHUA 



229 



valleys, both on the Sonora and the Chihuahua side of the Sierra Madre. Massacres, thefts of 
stock, and destruction designated the trail of these savages. The large majority of stock-raisers, 
farmers, and miners were compelled to flee their homes and leave their property to destruction. 
Only in rare instances did civilization maintain its foothold in this beautiful and immensely rich 
country, until within the last eight or nine years. Since then civilization and prosperity have 
begun to dawn upon that section. 

Many capitalists are being attracted to the flourishing mining districts of Santa Barbara. 
This is one of the oldest mining districts in the country, the Spaniards having found it here at 
the beginning of the conquest. The early miners had but one object, — to extract all the ore 
possible of a high grade and at the least possible cost. The Santa Barbara mines, however, 



SS^i 




Monte de Piedad, Chihuahua. 

were rich enough to stand even this drain upon their resources. The native miners firmly 
believe that the " Nopal" contains a hidden treasure of rich ores in untold quantities. In the 
auriferous district of Uruapa are located the "Gold Fields of Mexico," owned principally 
by an English company. Their object is the handling of high-grade gold ores in large 
quantities. There are twenty-six mines in various stages of development on this property, and 
a conservative estimate places their value at several million dollars. The Los Hundidos gold- 
mines at the northwest corner of the Uruapa district are within a mile of the railroad and within 
easy distance of the new crushing-mills and reduction-works at Zapote. This makes the Los 
Hundidos particularly valuable for investment purposes, as indeed are all these mines on the 
Uruapa. 

An interesting feature of Chihuahua is the Mormon colonization movement. At the present 



230 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



writing there are ten colonies of Mormons, comprising five thousand inhabitants, in Chihuahua. 
Mr. Andrew J. Stewart is the concessiomiaire and manager of the colony in Hidalgo, which 
owns a large tract of land in the Santa Maria valley. The colony has a dam which irrigates 
fifty thousand acres of what is already proving grand farming land for ordinary grains and 
vegetables and for dairy purposes. These colonies are not sectarian, however, although the 
majority of the colonists are Mormons. Governor Ahumada has been a friend to these colonies 
and has helped them in many ways. 

It is recorded that when Joseph Smith originally started the Mormon movement in America 
he desired to found his first settlement in Mexico ; and now this first idea of the great Mormon 
apostle is being carried out. 

The foreigner who goes to Mexico, invests capital, and gives due respect to the laws of 
the country can have no just cause of complaint. " It is only the tramp American who goes to 
Mexico with the expectation of making a fortune within a brief period, and who, failing in this, 
expends his spleen in deriding the government, the people, and the laws of the country. It is 
this class of people who go through the land disseminating their spite against Mexico and her 
people.'' 




DURANGO 



CHAPTER XXV 



DURANGO 



^^^^^^^ URANGO lies south of Chihuahua, and has an area of forty-two thousand six 

^ ik ^ hundred and twenty-three square miles. The western portion of the state is 

▼^T / broken up by the range of the Sierra Madre, but the east is very fertile, with 

^^^^^ wide plains and beautiful scenery. On the western slopes of the mountains, too, 

are rich valleys, where sugar-cane and the tropical fruits and plants are raised. 

Flax and potatoes grow wild in Durango, and cotton is raised in large quantities. The climate 

is cold on the mountains, hot on the 

western slopes, and temperate in other por- 
tions. Wheat and all vegetables peculiar 

to the temperate zone are produced in 

large quantities ; in fact, Durango offers 

excellent opportunities to the Northern 

agriculturist, especially in the eastern and 

central districts. Gold is abundant near 

Santa Maria del Oro. 

Durango, besides many silver-mines, 

contains inexhaustible iron-beds. It is often 

called the "State of the Iron Mountain." 

Less than two miles from the capital city, 

DuranoTQ, is the larcrest mass of iron in the 

world, being a solid mountain of iron, called 

Cerro del Mercado. It is estimated that 

this mountain contains more than one hun- 
dred and twenty-five million tons of 

the larger portion of which is 

This entire property now belongs to a 

company known as the Durango Steel and 

Iron Company. Governor Flores owns 

a section of this wonderful mountain. 

An explorer has said that the Cerro del 

Mercado could supply with iron for three 

hundred and thirty years all the foundries 

of Great Britain, the value of the iron consumed in that time reaching the enormous figure of 

nine billion nine hundred million dollars ; that is to say, seven times more than the value of all 

the gold and silver coined at the mint of Mexico from 1690 to 1S03. Widner's calculation 



iron. 



magnetic. 




Senor General Don Juan M. Flores, 

Governor of Durango. 



232 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 




TuNAL, THE Great Cotton-Mills of Durango, Durango. 



reports the Cerro del Mercado 
a mile long, three hundred and 
eighty-eight yards wide, and six 
hundred and forty feet high, 
representing one billion two 
hundred and forty-six million 
nine hundred and eighty-four 
thousand two hundred and 
twenty-four cubic feet. 

The capital is Durango, 
which is beautifully situated 
some seven thousand feet above 
the sea. It was founded in 
1560 by Alonzo Pacheco as a 
military station, and soon after 
was made an episcopal see. It 
was originally called Guadiana, 
and is still sometimes called 
Victoria. The most noteworthy 
buildings are the government 
house, the cathedral, a number of parish churches, a spacious hospital, a penitentiary, a state 
prison, a coliseum, an arena fpr bull-fights, and a sumptuous-looking cockpit. There are 
attractive public gardens, public squares, and public baths. Thermal springs supply the city 
with water, and the place is remarkable for cleanliness. There are cotton and woollen manu- 
factories, also leather-, iron-, glass-, and tobacco-factories. The mint at Durango coined twenty- 
seven million nine hundred and sixty-two thousand six hundred and sixty-eight dollars between 
1 8 1 1 and 1 845. There is an in- 
stitute in which law, languages, 
and the sciences are taught, 
with several very good public 
and private schools. 

Durango is a very peculiar 
town. It is very rich ; some 
thirty-five thousand people, the 
owners of lands, timber, mines, 
etc., have to be coaxed to sell. 
At the same time, there are 
large mineral districts not yet 
explored, and Americans have 
found good gold-bearing prop- 



erties. 



There is no mining ex- 



change, board of trade, or other 
business organization. The 
people are rich and contented, 
and the resident merchants do 
not care to have any more 




Public Washing-Place for the Indian Women, State of Durango. 



DURANGO 233 

competition. The fact that there has not been one failure here in sixteen years is a good indi- 
cation of sohdity. The developed mining district is very rich, and the cattle industry is large. 
Cotton-, woollen-, and print-mills represent large capital. The climate is perfect all the year ; 
never lower than twenty degrees above zero nor higher than eighty. The people are getting 
more enterprising now, after three years of railroad communication, but the town is a solid, 
slow business place, entirely able to exist independently of the world. 

Durango is, in fact, literally covered with mines. Among the important mining centres are 
El Oro, Indi, and Coiiito ; some of these have yielded from sixteen hundred to four thousand 
six hundred dollars per ton. There are plenty of other mines in the state, the estimated average 
yield amounting to six hundred thousand dollars weekly. Large beds of tin have also been 




A Mountain of Solid Iron, Durango. 



discovered, and promise great profits. The mines of Guanacevi, San Juan de Guadalupe, 
Mapimi, Metates. Topia, Indi, Papasquiaro, Santiago, San Dimas, and El Carmen are all of 
importance, but one of the largest is that of Penoles, whose estimated annual value is about 
half a million dollars. 

The agricultural interests in the state have not been neglected, the situation being especially 
favorable for the cultivation of cotton, as well as of other profitable crops. That cotton is profit- 
ably raised is proved by the fact that there are several mills in the state for weaving, spinning, 
and printing cotton, besides two or three for the manufacture of woollen goods. These facili- 
ties, and the fact that a ready market is found in the city of Mexico for all its products, give 
excellent promise for the future. 

The rich ac^ricultural district surrounding Lerdo is under irrigation, and from eighty to one 



234 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



hundred thousand bales of cotton are raised there yearly, in addition to the corn, cane, beans, 
and fruits which are produced in great abundance. This is part of the Laguna district (which 
lies partly in Coahuila), which is traversed by the river Nazas throughout its entire valley. 
Amone the chief tributaries of this river are the Castine and the Santiao-o, which unite to form 
the Ramos. A strange feature about this river is the fact that it furnishes a large volume of 
water which never reaches the river Nazas, the disappearance of which has never been fully 
accounted for. Consequently, during the summer montlis the Nazas dwindles to a very small 
stream, and this has been utilized to irrigate the Laguna lands. Corn, wheat, and frijoles are 
raised there, but the most important crop is the cotton for which the Laguna district is famous. 
The cotton-fields at this point are immense. The broad irrigating ditches take the places of 




Casa of Maximilian Damm, Durango. 



fences or hedges, so that the view covers one broad sweep, miles in extent. These fields are 
often two miles square, white as snow when the bolls are open, and they are repeated as far as 
the eye can reach along these river banks. 

A few miles out from Durango is the Fabrica del Tunal, one of the oldest cotton-factories 
in the country, having been established by the father of the present owner, Senor Emilio Stahl- 
knecht, in 1837. This establishment has eighty looms, which will probably be increased in the 
near future to two hundred and fifty looms, as there is a water-power of nearly three hundred 
horse-power. The establishment includes bleaching and print works, and its products of fine 
cloths are known everywhere as among the finest cotton goods of Mexican manufacture. 

The city of Lerdo was founded in 1867, but has already ten thousand inhabitants, with a 
surrounding territory containing a population of fifty thousand more. Lerdo occupies a beau- 



DURANGO 



■35 



titul site, surrounded on three sides by low mountains. It has wide streets and a beautiful plaza 
with plenty of trees and flowers. Here is one of the finest hospitals in the republic, the Hospital 
Francisco Garza. The building is two stories in height, with a large area, and has in connection 
an orphan asylum and a poor-house. Governor Flores has contributed largely to the support 
ot this magnificent structure, which would do credit to a city ten times the size of Lerdo. 
There are a large number of manufactories with all modern improvements, among which may 
be mentioned one of the largest soap-factories in America, several large wholesale establish- 
ments, bankinof-houses, etc. 

There are many romances regarding buried treasures in Durango. There is no doubt that 
there has been deposited all through the state in caves and other secret places a vast amount 




The Principal Street, Durango. 

of treasure, the proceeds of robberies committed by bands of brigands and outlaws during the 
numerous revolutions. 

To Governor Don Juan Manuel Flores the state owes the greater part of the progress it 
has made for some years past, and to him was given the duty of driving the last spike on the 
International Railroad, which owed its construction largely to his indefatigable zeal. When 
that road was formally opened and the hitherto remote capital of Durango made accessible to 
travellers for the first time, it was a veritable revelation to the world. No one had imagined 
that up among those mountainous solitudes would be found a city so beautiful, so ad\anced, or 
so fully equipped to compete with modern national capitals ; and the whole country did honor 
to the untiring genius and progressive spirit of Durango's able governor, General Flores. 



236 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XXVI 

SAN LUIS POTOSI 

.^g^^^ AST of Zacatecas and Aguas Calientes is San Luis Potosi, one of the most impor- 
■V,^^ tant states in the republic. It has an area of twenty-eight thousand eight hundred 
f J J and eighty-nine square miles, and a population at the last census of about five 
^^^^0 hundred and forty thousand. 

This state, lying in the most central position in the country and crossed from 
north to south and froni east to west by important railways, is mostly free from mountains, lying 
principally in the temperate district. Coahuila and Nuevo Leon join it on the north ; Tamaul- 
ipas and Vera Cruz on the east ; Oueretaro, Guanajuato, and Jalisco are its southern neighbors ; 
and Zacatecas bounds it on the west. It is within touch by railway of all the trade-centres : 
Tampico and Vera Cruz give it ports through which to reach all Atlantic points, while the 
railways from Laredo, El Paso, and Eagle Pass make the United States a very near neighbor. 
Salado, Parida, Matehuala, Catorce, San Venado, Moctezuma, El Maiz, Salinas, Valles, and Rio 
Verde are among its jewels. 

If there is any one country which is beautiful in its picturesque vegetation and useful for the 
products of that kingdom, it is the Huasteca of San Luis Potosi. There the highest trees give 
support to a multitude of creeping vines and to a swarm of vegetable parasites, which create an 
agreeable confusion and form obscure thickets where the foot of man has never yet penetrated. 
The multitudes of shades of color of the green leaves and the divers hues of the flowers, with 
the half-light produced in many places by the shade of the trees, allowing an occasional vista 
of purest blue sky ; the silence of the bosks at certain hours of the day ; the harmonious songs 
of the birds at the rising- and the setting of the sun, are all poetical, and invite to meditation 
and the adoration of the Author and Source of so many marvels. The entire state is a gem 
of varied beauty, worth travelling thousands of miles to see. 

In the towns to the southeast and east of the capital there are lands well adapted for agri- 
culture. The enterprise which is directed to this class of work will find there every kind of 
products which temperate and torrid climates know, not only in cereals and fibre-bearing plants, 
but also in fruits and hard woods. In all portions of the state Indian corn is cultivated, as well 
as wheat and beans, all most useful as food for the inhabitants ; but the branches of agriculture 
which have been most developed are the cultivation of coffee and that of tobacco. The coffee- 
plants number about four million, wnth a mean yield of forty thousand quintals. Sugar-cane is 
another of the products which are most abundant. In fine, having, as this state has, lands 
in all three climates, — cold, temperate, and torrid, — it can produce all the fruits of every 
zone. 

In the rural districts, to the north and northwest, there is an abundance of cattle and 
sheep, yielding hides and wool. Palnito, the central tender part of a palm-tree grown in the 



SAN LUIS POTOSI 



Huasteca, when cooked in any one of several manners, is an agreeable and nourishin*'" food. 
The Imalpoy is a species of bean having the flavor of peas. The pimicnta of Tabasco is a stout 
and aromatic tree, the odor of which may be noted in various parts of San Luis. Its spherical 
fruit is like that of the ordinary pimienta ; its leaves make an agreeable be\erage like tea. 
The mora, which is exported in great quantities, is a stout tree, the wood of which yields a 
yellow die ; the moliuite, a dark veh'et ; the 
ixqidtl, a blue. Among textile plants, 
besides the varieties of magueys and pitas, 
there is jonote. 

In the different rivers fish are found in 
great abundance and large variety. They 
are not only handsome in appearance, but 
are declared by epicures to be of a very 
fine flavor, being fed by the many natural 
undergrowths. 

Nature has been most prodigal in trees 
suitable for construction, as well as for 
cabinet-making. Some of these are pecu- 
liar to this district. Among them may be 
found the cJiicol, with dark brown wood, 
which when dry is like iron, and which 
petrifies when buried in a moist place. 

In some of the mountainous parts there 
is no necessity for oxen or ploughing, a hoe 
being sufficient to enable the planter to raise 
a good crop, — corn, for instance. In the 
level country ploughs are used with oxen. 

In the coffee district they use plants 
which have come up of themselves. The 
plant at the age of two years is in the 
best condition for replanting. In the moist 

months of winter it is transplanted where it will be shaded in the summer while growing. 
After it has a fair start, the overshadowing trees are pulled up in order to gi\'e the more 
important plants light and air. This and "fencing with wood are the only labors necessary. 
A coffee plantation lasts many years when once started. I have seen plants thirty years old 
still bearing. 

Rice is cultivated in some parts with the plough ; no more care is required than to cut the 
plant. In Xilitla, Huehuetlan, Coscatlan, and Aquisman there is an abundance of this crop, 
w^hich brings good prices. When it is ripe it is cut as wheat is, dried, threshed, and winnowed 
in the wind, a picturesque process that has died out in our country. Sugar-cane grows in 
abundance. It is crushed with rude wooden rollers, and the sua-ar and molasses are made in a 
primitive manner. Tobacco is exported from the state, but not in nearly as large quantities as 
it should be. Vanilla is very easily grown, and yields a large profit. 

The mineral deposits throughout the state are already known, and there is considerable 
national and foreign capital invested in w^orking the mines, and each year more American 
capital becomes interested. There are in the state seventy-two mines, of which forty-three are 




Senor General Don Carlos Diez Gutierrez, 

GovERNOK OF San Luis Potosi, 



-2 38 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

in Catorce, twenty-five in Guadalcazar, and four in the capital. Of these, forty-eight produce 
silver, eleven lead, two copper, one sulphur, and ten mercury. The mines of San Pedro in 
this state were discovered in the middle of the sixteenth century, and it is they that have 
made the reputation of the state. There are here no regular veins, but metalliferous masses 
produce lead, oxide of iron, native silver, and sulphur, and almost all contain a trace of gold. 
The mining industry is notably progressive, and the "plants" for carrying it on are of the 
most modern type. The installations of the Concepcion and Santa Nuna are most complete 
and costly. There is an immense metallurgical establishment at Morales, with five buildings 
and eleven furnaces. The state of San Luis produces over three million dollars of silver per 
year. Silver comes in considerable quantities from San Antonio de Guascama. 

In the northern part of the state is Catorce, "The Silver City." Catorce means in Spanish 
fourteen, and these mines were discovered by a group of fourteen banditti. These are of the 




Palace of the Governor, San Luis Purosf. 

most celebrated mines in Mexico. The great mining city is eight miles from the station of the 
same name, and since the discovery of queen silver, about 1780, the town has grown into a 
population of about twenty thousand. The plaza occupies the only level spot in the place. 
The mines are particularly interesting, with miles and miles of shafting and tunnelling. Enor- 
mous quantities of ore have been taken out, and still there is an annual output of several 
million dollars. 

When we visited these mines we went on horseback, attended by one of the officials and a 
boy. The path is rugged and steep, but not dangerous, and gives a magnificent view of the 
town, stream, and canon hundreds of feet below. Conducted by the proprietor of the mine 



SAJV LUIS POTOSI 239 

(which, by the way, in its first year produced one million six hundred thousand dollars), we 
inspected it thoroughly, and found it very interesting. We were conducted through a large 
iron gate across the patio into the warehouse, where we were struck by the extreme neatness 
of the place. With lights and guides we passed through the tunnel, which was at first like a 
cold-air passage, but afterward grew uncomfortably warm. As we proceeded we had to dodge 
the little cars that flew by with the rapidity of lightning, to dispose of their rich burdens. Once 
in the mines, every man was at his place, watching his part of the machinery with the utmost 
care. 

Then we went down the shaft. It was like going down an elevator through the darkness 
of the Inferno into the very bowels of the earth. Once at the bottom and standing ac^ain on 
terra Jirma, we found another scene of strange and busy activity. But, alas, the activity grew 
less as the miners discovered our presence. Probably they had never seen two women down 
there before, and they feared terrible consequences, as there is a common superstition among 
the miners that a serious accident will surely follow a woman's visit to the mines. Indeed, while 
we were in Mexico City a band of thirty Indian miners walked all the way from the sulphur- 
mines of Popocatepetl, where they were working, because a woman had set foot in the place. 

We could see no trace of silver on the sides of the gloomy black walls until small, greenish- 
mouldy spots were pointed out to us as indicating veins of silver. When we finally landed at the 
mouth of the shaft we felt that we had had an experience not to be missed for worlds, but not 
to be repeated if possible to avoid it. 

Other important mines besides San Pedro (discovered about the middle of the sixteenth 
century) are Guadalcazar, Matehuala, Durazno, Cedral, and Salinas. The Concepcion is worked 
by a powerful company, of which Governor Gutierrez is president. This is perhaps the most 
important and wealthiest in the state, seeming to be inexhaustible, although worked on an 
enormous scale, with a subterranean railway of its own. The mines of Charcas contain many 
minerals, and the salt-works of Penon Blanco have made the fortune of their owners. 

There is a large metal foundry, the most extensive on this continent, near the border of the 
state, which is proving valuable as an inducement to enlarge the workings in all these mines. 

There are many manufactories in this state, especially in the capital, where are made soap, 
candles, varnishes, sombreros, tobacco, pottery, and wine. In the eastern towns are many small 
aguardiente stills and a few sugar-houses. The principal manufactures are cotton goods in 
Venado, wool in Santa Maria del Rio, linen in San Luis, and o-ilt and silvered articles. 

o 

The Mexican National Railway traverses the state from south to north, from the capital of 
the republic to Laredo, Texas, a distance of thirteen hundred and fifty kilometres. The trip 
from San Luis Potosi to Tampico affords one of the most delightful and interesting trips on 
the American continent. The views afforded passengers on this line are justly styled the 
" Swiss scenes of Mexico." 

From San Luis Potosi, at an altitude of six thousand one hundred and eighteen feet above 
sea-level, the plain gradually slopes downward, by a series of terraces, cut through here and 
there by canons giving passage for the watercourses descending from the table-land to the sea. 
Through one of these openings the train descends into and through the wild San Isidro valley, the 
mountain-sides of which are densely wooded. Soon after leaving Cardenas the road descends 
abruptly into the pleasant valley of Canoas, and thence enters the great canon of Tamasopo. 
Winding along the shelf hewn in the sides of the almost perpendicular cliffs, around curves, and 
through a succession of tunnels, the train finally reaches the mouth of the canon, where a 
magnificent view suddenly presents itself. Before and beneath spreads out a beautiful valley 



240 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



encircled by mountains. Twelve hundred feet below is seen the dense, luxuriant tropical forest, 
interspersed with fields of growing cane and tropical fruits. Running along the almost perpen- 
dicular mountain-side, with grand cliffs towering above, there can be seen beneath, at three 
different places, the line of track over which the train is to pass before reaching the valley below. 
Here a new surprise awaits the traveller. He is passing- through a coflee plantation. Under 
the giant trees, literally covered with an infinite variety of orchids, grows the coffee, with its 

glossy evergreen leaves and bright red ber- 
ries. Shortly after leaving Rascon the canon 
called " Abra de Caballeros" is entered, at 
the mouth of which the river tumbles down 
a series of cascades over three hundred feet. 
These falls are called " El Salto del Abra." 
The water in the pools is of a lovely 
cfreen color, which as it rushes over the falls 
appears turned into a snowy foam, present- 
ing an effect long to be remembered. Just 
beyond the " Boca del Abra" the train passes, 
on an iron bridge, directly over an opening 
in the top of " Choy Cave," from which 
rushes, more than two hundred feet below, 
a beautiful stream of water, which winds 
its way through the valley toward the 
Gulf. 

The Mexican Central system has another 
line from San Luis to the port of Tampico, 
four hundred and forty-six kilometres, said 
to be the finest piece of engineering in the 
republic. Both systems of railways have 
their stations respectively in the east and in 
the north of the Alameda, a few metres from 
the principal plaza, these being elegant edi- 
fices, especially that of the National Mexican, without doubt the best in the country. 

The railway from Vanegas to Rio Verde, a local enterprise, is in operation between Vanegas 
and Matehuala. Of similar oriofin is a line from Cedral to Potrero, the lines tog'ether amountinsf 
to seventy-two kilometres. This railway runs with great regularity, contributing principally to 
mercantile progress, and above all to the local improvement of mines. 

Primary instruction is given in about nine hundred schools, of which seven hundred and 
eleven are public, ninety-one private, and nine sustained by religious associations. There is in 
the capital a college for secondary instruction, called " Scientific and Literary Institute," in which 
are followed the studies preparatory to the professions and the regular courses in medicine and 
law, and in topographical, geographical, hydrographical, mining, and mechanical engineering. 
In this institute there are thirty-one resident students and two hundred from outside. A normal 
school for male and one for female teachers have in the first thirty-nine students, all resident, 
and in the second sixty-eight, all non-resident. 

An industrial military school, designed for the poorer class, has two or three hundred pupils, 
all receiving in the establishment primary instruction and devoting themselves to various trades, 




Church and Fountain at Guadalupe. 



SAN LUIS POTOSI 



241 



which they are there taught. The printing and lithographic establishments of this school are 
the best in the city. The presses are steam-driven, and the director in each shop is most 
capable. 

These pupils, as well as those in the normal schools, receive instruction in military tactics, 
in which they have shown great aptitude and proficiency. The students in each school receive 
board, clothing, and books fi'ee. In the industrial school there is a military band for young men 
and boys, conducted by a competent leader, who says that it is one of the best in the countr)'. 

In the school of arts and trades for girls are taught English and French and occupations 
adapted to the gentler sex, as millinery, flower-making, printing, lithography, and telegraphy. 
In this school there is a loom which is turning out satisfactory products, and some of the 
students have formed an orchestra, which is heard with great pleasure. All these establish- 
ments are supported by the government. 

There are one civil, one military, and one children's hospital, the first supported b)' the state, 
the second by the general government, and the third by private means. 

The capital of the state is San Luis Potosi. Other important towns are \'alles, Mate- 
huala, Venado, Guadalcazar, Rio Verde, Tamazunchale, Tancanhuitz, Santa Maria del Rio, 
Cerritos, Salinas, and Alaquinas, capitals of 
partidos or counties. 

San Luis Potosi has a population of 
seventy-five thousand people, and is one 
of the most important business centres in 
the republic of Mexico. It is situated in a 
fertile valley surrounded by mountains rich 
in mineral wealth, and is the principal dis- 
tributing point for a large section of Northern 
Mexico. The successful opening of the port 
of Tampico gives San Luis Potosi commer- 
cial advantages equal, if not superior, to those 
of any other city in the republic of Mexico. 
There is located at this point the smelting 
plant of the Compania Metalurgica Mexi- 
cana, the most extensive silver-lead reduction 
works on the North American continent. 

This city may justly lay claim to a first 
rank among the cities of the Mexican 
republic. This is true whether she be con- 
sidered from an historical, a political, or a 
commercial point of view. Founded in the 
days of the Spanish conquest, the geo- 
graphical position of San Luis (almost in 
the centre of the great Northern Mexican 

plateau, some six thousand feet above the level of the sea) secured for her pre-eminence 
from the earliest times. She stands prominent in the country's history, colonial, imperial, and 
republican. The military commander, the political leader, the railroad or mining engineer, the 
commercial agent and capitalist, each in turn has made her the centre of his operations. The 
history of the city may to a great extent be read in its outward appearance. Grand old Spanish 

16 




Cascade del Saltu, Sa.n' Luis PoTobi. 



242 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

churches, such as that of San Francisco, dating from the sixteenth century, the Carmen, with 
its two-hundred-year-okl carvings, and the Guadalupe, with its sacred associations, are ahiiost 
within view of the handsome but essentially modern railway depots of the Central and National 
companies. The imposing French-built government palace and the Mexican cathedral, flanking 
the old Spanish plaza, with its American tram-lines and electric lights, the old fortified mint, 
telling of revolutionary times, the college hospital, the library, and the splendid new theatre, 
seating three thousand, with other new and elegant buildings, speak for the prosperity and 
advancement of the present day. 

It has always been a very busy and flourishing place, holding the same relation to Eastern 
Mexico that Guadalajara holds to Western Mexico. The surrounding country is a very fertile 
district, and San Luis furnishes a ready market for its produce. The rapid growth and the 
display of enterprise in San Luis have given it the right to be called the " Chicago of Mexico." 

There are many fine buildings in San Luis Potosi. The government palace is attractive in 
appearance ; the cathedral shows some fine stone-work on its towers. There are characteristic 
paintings of high quality in the church of El Carmen. Much may be seen in a given time in 
San Luis by taking a street-car or carriage to the church of Guadalupe, as the visitor thus enjoys 
the Paseo, the fountains, and the market on the way, and reaches something worth going to 
see at the end of his ride. The old church has a clock which was given by the King of Spain 
In return for the largest piece of silver ore ever taken from a mine. On the entrance to this 
beautiful sanctuary are these comforting and inspiring words : 

Aqui el que pide recibe, 
El que busca halla, 
Al que toca se le abre. 

("Here he who asks receives, he who seeks finds, to him who knocks it is opened.") 

The two tall towers of this church form the most striking feature of the city to the traveller 
approaching from the south. 

A new theatre in San Luis Potosi, one of the handsomest in Mexico, is a monument to 
the progressive spirit of Governor Gutierrez. The building is of stone, massive and large. 
Immense columns of stone and iron adorn the front. The entrance is very much like that of 
the Grand Opera in Paris. It Is elegant yet massive in design, and would be a credit to any 
republic. There is a grand and beautiful lobby, which is approached by wide marble steps and 
covered by a dome of heavy stained glass. Seen from below, this last has a magnificent appear- 
ance, with a huge balcony winding around in the interior, with heavy iron railing. This is 
entered above by beautiful glass doors, opening from an Immense hall, large enough for a 
ball-room, with marble-tiled floors. The theatre is on a magnificent scale, and beautifully 
upholstered boxes with brass railings and handsome effects add greatly to the grandeur of the 
parquet below. The stage has all the latest improvements, and the whole theatre is a noble 
example of what taste can do when backed up by immense wealth. It is one of the finest in 
the republic, and was built under the supervision of General Gutierrez. The governor's private 
box, facing the stage, is magnificently fitted up, with the coat of arms of the state in silver and 
bronze, while the brass railings around the boxes above and below add to the beauty of this 
massive theatre. 

San Luis Potosi is a capital place to visit, as there are fine hotels there, with a great deal 
to interest a sight-seer. Not only are the streets wonderfully clean, but the law requires that 



SAN LUIS POT OS I 



243 



the houses shall be kept freshly painted, so that the cit)' is fresh and bright in every quarter. 
The markets are particularly interesting, with picturesque water-carriers, many fountains, and 
many novel types. A fine statue of Hidalgo formerly occupied the Plaza de Armas, but has 
been removed to a more important place and a costly and elegant kiosk erected in its place. 
When the evenings are warm and serene, as most nights are in San Luis Potosi, this plaza 
presents a most attractive appearance, with whole families promenading to the gay music under 
the silvery light of the moon or the more brilliant radiance of the electric light. 

There are several other handsome buildings, including the governor's palace in the Plaza 
Hidalgo, built in 1767, and the ex-municipal palace of two stories and with magnificent arcades. 

An account of this historic city may well end with the record of the fact that here was made 




The Grand Theatre "La Paz," San Luis Potosi. 

the first discovery of silver in Mexico, a discovery which went so far to found the country's 
future greatness. The pretty tradition is that early in the sixteenth century an Indian goatherd 
w^as climbing the San Luis hills, his foot slipped, and to save himself he clutched at a neighbor- 
ing bush, which, giving way beneath his weight, was uprooted and exposed to view the nati\e 
silver beneath. 

In the capital there are two prisons, one for men and the other for women. The first, 
connected with the penitentiary system, is in a beautiful building of modern construction, as 
may be easily seen from its ornamentation. It can accommodate about four hundred and fifty 
criminals, all of whom are fed there, and in the same building there is an efficient hospital 
department. The institution has already cost three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and fifty 
thousand more will be spent on its gardens. The women's prison is a building of ancient con- 



244 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



struction, with a chapel for Roman Cathohc worship, and is large enough for its usual number 
of offenders, about sixty. It was given by a former resident of the city in the early years of 
this century, on condition that it should be used only for the purpose designated. Each prin- 
cipal town in the state has a prison for men and one for women. 

North of San Luis is the very pretty village of Bocas, a typical town of Mexican beauty. 
Fine haciendas with walled gardens, blossoming flowers and fruits, towered chapel and ancient 
court-yards, may be seen, with plenty of green foliage to soften the landscape on every side. 
In the northern portion of the state, at La Maroma, the line separating the Temperate from 
the Torrid Zone is marked by a pyramid erected by the Mexican National Railroad. 

Up to the present time we have described only the inanimate features of this wonderful 
state. But there are other treasures, more precious than mines of silver and of gold : her men 
of action and of soul ; her patriots and warriors ; her defenders in time of war, her leading- 
citizens in days of peace._ 

Of these, the "noblest Roman of them all" is he who has long stood at the helm of gov- 
ernment in the state of San Luis Potosi, and whose career is at once the record of the progress 
of this state and one of the principal features of its advance. General Carlos Diez Gutierrez 
was born in the city of Maiz, in this state, in 1845. As governor and military commander of 
San Luis he has given a vigorous impulse to all public duties, reformed the postal service and 
the gendarmerie, and completely reorganized the government and its departments. As governor 
of his state he has brought to the front rank the penitentiaries, industrial schools, asylums, 
hospitals, telegraphy, railways, and other public institutions and improvements. 




ZACATECAS 



245 



CHAPTER XXVII 



% 



ZACATECAS 

'ACATECAS is another inland state, soiitii of Durango, and surrounded by Coahuila, 
San Luis Potosi, Aguas Calientes, and Jalisco. It has an area of twenty-six thou- 
sand five hundred and eighty-eight square miles, and is a flourishing state in many 
ways. It is one of the most mountainous, being traversed by the Sierra Madre 
with numerous spurs and branches. The hilly country of the middle and west is 
interspersed with fertile and wide valleys and 
deep gorges and ravines, furnishing a variety 
of wild and beautiful scenery. The state is 
rather poorly watered, there being no large 
streams. The climate is very generally salu- 
brious, warm in the valleys, and rather cold in 
the elevated portions. Silver is very abundant 
in this state, which long ranked first in impor- 
tance among the great mining regions of 
Mexico. Guanajuato, however, has taken pre- 
cedence of it in this respect. Mining is the 
chief industry, although agriculture is exten- 
sively and profitably carried on. 

Zacatecas is divided into twelve partidos 
or districts, — Zacatecas, Fresnillo, Sombrerete, 
Nieves, Mazapil, Ciudad Garcia, Pinos, Villa- 
nueva, Sanchez Roman, Juchipila, Nochistlan, 
and Ojo Caliente. 

The capital is Zacatecas, a city of about 
eighty-five thousand population, lying in a deep 
gorge of the mountains about three hundred 
miles northwest of Mexico City, on the Mexi- 
can Central Railway. It has many churches, a 
hospital, a mint, good schools, and a literary 
institute founded in 1868. The city is justly 
celebrated for its enormous output of silver. Its 
first mine was discovered in September, 1546, and on July i, 181S, it was estimated that the total 
output of the mines since their discovery aggregated the sum of six hundred and sixty-seven 
million three hundred and forty-three thousand two hundred and nineteen dollars. These 




SeiSor General Jesus Arechiga, 

Governor of Zacatecas. 



246 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



silver-mines are steadily producing immense quantities of ore, and recent new discoveries have 
been made which indicate that Zacatecas may become famous as a gold-ore producing point 

also. 

The city is reached by a steep slope from the railway station, and the narrow streets are 
wonderfully clean, well paved, and have raised pavements at one side. Everywhere the little 
court-yards are seen through open door-ways and are glowing with flowers and sunshine. There 
are many market-places, and the central one has a great circular stone fountain, around which 
at almost every hour of the day may be seen women and children with great red earthen jars 

and little gourd-shaped cups, which they use to fill 
the jars ; these latter are then swung easily to the 
left shoulder, and the women walk off with all the 
grace and self-possession of ball-room belles. 

To see Zacatecas you must go down a steep 
side street to the beautiful old church, with its grreat 
facade of carved freestone and three unique spires, 
and the arcade covered with its double row of arches. 
Everything glows with color, — the sky, the frescoes, 
the flowers, the trees, the gayly dressed people, and 
the broad stone seats. The inner court of the gov- 
ernment patio is finished with a dado and frieze of 
blue and yellow; the slender pillars in double col- 
umns between the arches of the first and second 
floors are brilliant with stencilled wreaths of flowers ; 
the broad stone steps curving away to the upper 
galleries are ornamented with pots of tropical 
plants. Erom a corner of one of these galleries 
one sees a beautiful picture. The red sandstone 
towers of the cathedral, with their beautiful carv- 
ing, are barbaric in splendor and still harmonious. 
Against the sapphire sky their outlines are wonder- 
ful, and there is no end of novelty. One market- 
place is devoted entirely to coarse potteries, jars for 
water, and cooking articles and kitchen utensils. 
Many travellers say the low-topped houses and domed churches remind them of Palestine. 
Indeed, Zacatecas is called "The Jerusalem of Mexico." Ear up on the mountain called "La 
Bufa" is the shrine which the Mexican devotees visit to obtain remission of their sins, many 
of them scaling the steep sides of the mountain upon their hands and knees, as an exceptional 
self-imposed penance. The people wear their peculiarly picturesque garb, and should it be 
Sunday and the band playing in the plaza, the moving throngs will form a veritable kaleido- 
scopic scene, wonderfully pleasing to the eye. 

Water is a comparatively scarce article in Zacatecas. The fountains in the plaza are always 
thronged with people with their water-jars, and as early as four a.m. men and women of the 
poorer classes are at the fountain filling jars with water, which they sell to later arrivals at 
a centavo for four gallons, the quantity a jar holds. The schools and the markets, the latter 
with their many varieties of fruit unknown in our country, are very interesting. Many of 
the venders, spreading a shawl on the pavement, divide their articles into sundry little piles. 




The Cathedral, Zacatecas. 



ZACATECAS 



247 



each of which is sold for one cent. These sometimes consist of cooked articles, and many 
a passer-by gets a meal for that sum. 

Passing along the streets, through the open door the mother of the family or a young girl 
can often be seen preparing the family meal. Corn, having been first soaked in a weak lye, is 
placed on a flat stone, over which a stone two inches in diameter and perhaps ten inches long 
is rapidly rolled by the hands of the woman, who kneels on the floor. The softened corn is 
soon reduced to a coarse paste, and is then flattened by hand into very thin wafers, which are 
immediately baked. These are the tortillas which, together with the frijoles, constitute the 
staple diet of the masses. Some of the tortillas are laid out for dishes and plates on which to 
place the beans ; another tortilla is twisted into a spoon ; and when the beans have been eaten, 




A General View of Zacatecas. 



then the spoons, dishes, and plates are eaten, and, the hands being wiped on a tortilla that is 
left, that is eaten also. Thus the meal is over and the table cleared, with no dishes or table-cloth 
to wash. This, of course, obtains only among the poor classes ; nowhere can be found more 
charming manners and true refinement than among la alta sociedad. 

Of course the principal interest of the people of Zacatecas is mining. Among the principal 
buildings is the Aduana, built of red sandstone, with handsome carving around the entrance 
and the yard. Then there is the handsome market, which is exceedingly tidy and clean, and of 
which the upper floor is used as a hall or occasional theatre. There is another fine theatre, 
with a seating capacity of eight hundred, handsome decorations, and all the modern improve- 
ments. Close to the market is the cathedral, built of red stone, with a wonderful frontage on 
three sides, magnificently carved. The interior is equally rich, and cost many thousands of 



248 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



dollars. Toward the back ot the theatre is the old church and convent of Santo Domlneo. 
This formerly was very large, and the centre of the Inquisition, as were all the convents of the 
Dominican order almost everywhere. The portion forming- the city convent is now the city 
prison ; the old church and the chapter assembly-room still belong to the order of Santo Domingo. 
This church was the tirst one built in the state of Zacatecas, and was erected between 1560 
and 1570. All that remains to show that it belonged to the Inquisition under the Dominican 

order is the assembly-room, or " Sala de Actas." 
The decoration of the church is very fine. 
The next place of interest is the church and 
convent of San Francisco. The church is 
small and very poor ; the frontage is of carved 
stone, and the interior decoration appears to 
have been very rich in former years. The 
convent now is almost in ruins, a small part 
being used as a meson, another as a dwelling- 
place for the poorer class, a small piece as a 
brick-yard, but by far the greater portion has 
become dilapidated with age and neglect. 
The old convent of San Auo-ustin has been 
almost entirely turned into dwelling-houses, but 
the church, a very fine building, has been 
left entire, and belongs to the Presbyterian 
missions. 

From the balcony of the Hotel Zacateno 
there is a magnificent panorama, the whole city 
seemino- like one great fortress of stone. Huo^e 
stone walls and mountain-sides are everywhere, 
with patches of green here and there, making 
up a picturesque combination. 

There are several silver-mines in the 
vicinity of Zacatecas, some of them exceedingly, 
valuable. The principal mining districts in the 
state besides Zacatecas are Fresnillo, Sombrerete, Chalchihuites, Nieves, Pinos, Mazapil, Ojo 
Caliente, and Mezquital del Oro. These furnish, in addition to large quantities of gold and 
silver, copper, tin, lead, iron, cobalt, antimony, cinnabar, arsenic, sulphur, and alum. The patio 
process is in common use, although calcination and the toncl method are also employed. The 
product of these Zacatecas mines averages yearly from five to six million dollars, the mint coining 
five hundred thousand dollars per month. The climate is perfect ; no case of consumption was 
ever known. 

In February, 1896, Zacatecas enjoyed the novelty of a snow-storm, during which the people 
gave themselves a holiday and battles with snow-balls became the rage. Students built snow 
forts and erected snow statues of General Escobedo and Minerva. Over three feet fell, and the 
sight was something almost unheard of the climate usually being delightful all winter. 

Having exhausted the sights of Zacatecas, Guadalupe, a suburb of about nine thousand 
people, some six miles distant, may be reached by tramway. The cars, operated by the "gravi- 
tation system," start slowly, but are soon whirling down the steep hills, passing by the queer 




The Theatre Caldero.n", Zacatecas. 



Z AC AT EGAS 



249 



adobe houses, the track now crossing over a bridge beneath which are seen droves of burros 
carrying the ores from the mines, again through a gulch around some huge boulders, or past the 
yawning mouth of some mine ; the magnificent views and the varied objects creating a thousand 
vivid impressions. Indeed, the experience of this tramway ride is one not soon to be forgotten 
by the tourist. 

In Guadalupe the market-place, as in all other Mexican cities, is a point of interest, where 
every variety of vegetable is offered for sale, and the venders themselves are not the least 
attractive features of the scene. 

The cathedral of Guadalupe, with its tiled dome and its beautiful surroundings, presents 
a delightful appearance as one approaches through the plaza, planted thickly with roses and 




The Little Plaza of Villareal, Zacatecas. 

countless varieties of flowers. As we enter the cathedral, we pause in astonishment. Upon 
the altar are life-size figures representing the crucifixion, and in the background is a painting of 
the hill of Calvary, with the attending Roman soldiers and Jews grouped around. Attached to 
the cathedral is an art gallery containing many magnificent paintings, the subjects drawn from 
the Holy Scriptures, and in their treatment showing the work of some master-hand. The new 
chapel, on the north of the cathedral, the gift of a lady of great wealth, is considered one of 
the finest in the world. The steps leading to the altar are of onyx, only the rarest kinds being 
used ; the rail of the altar is of solid silver, and the altar itself in parts is constructed of solid 
silver and gold. The magnificent dome is beautifully frescoed, and one's eyes never tire of 
feasting on the many lovely figures so skilfully portrayed. 

The remainder of the convent is now occupied as a school. In this school there are over 



250 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



two hundred boys from the poorer classes of Guadalupe and Zacatecas, who are being taught 
the trades of wool-working and weaving, printing, bookbinding, carpentry, carriage- and car- 
building, blacksmithing, and shoemaking, as well as other trades. The blankets and wTaps 
made in this school are equal in manufacture to any that may be bought either in the States 
or in Europe, and compare very favorably in price with them. This school was awarded medals 
in the Paris Exposition of 1887 and the Exposition at Chicago in 1893 for woollen and silk 

goods made on the premises. 
There is a band of well-trained 
musicians connected with the 
school. The establishment is 
self-supporting, and certainly is 
well worth visiting. This is the 
pet institution of the governor, 
who manifests the deepest inter- 
est in the progress of the pupils. 
Near Guadalupe is the 
establishment of Senor Don 
Serapio Galvan, Fabrica de 
Providencia. This factory is in 
the shape of the letter L, and 
occupies thirty thousand square 
yards. The street front is a 
handsome facade, with square 
tower and large entrance ; in- 
side is a handsome court, with 
offices for the various depart- 
ments. The owner's private house is also here, and has a large court with covered galleries 
from which opens a suite of handsome rooms gorgeously furnished. Carriages and all sorts 
of vehicles are manufactured in this factory, to compete with the best American or European 
products. 

The governor of Zacatecas is General Jesus Arechiga, under whose wise administration 
many improvements have been made in public and private enterprises. Among the achieve- 
ments of his terms are the new theatre, costing nearly two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ; 
a magnificent hospital, of rose-colored stone, fitted with all the requirements of modern science ; 
an elaborate system of lighting ; a beautiful school for girls with ample grounds and all the 
latest appliances known to educators, a scientific institute, a normal school for boys, and other 
public buildings and improvements of importance to the capital city. His efforts have not 
been confined to the seat of local government, however, as many useful public improvements 
have been made throughout the state, including new schools, city halls, public gardens, and 
markets. A word should be added in praise of the fine system of public schools in Zacatecas. 
The state spends nearly three million dollars in primary and higher public instruction. There 
are about twenty-five thousand students in these schools, with two thousand more in private 
schools maintained by the clergy and other individuals. With her vast resources, her educa- 
tional system, and her public spirit, the state of Zacatecas has already become a power in the 
republic of Mexico. 




The Church of Guadalupe, Zacatecas. 



AGUAS CALIENTES 



251 



CHAPTER XXVIII 



® 



AGUAS CALIENTES 

NE of the smallest states in Mexico is Aguas Calientes, having an area of only two 
thousand two hundred and sixteen square miles. It is almost entirely enclosed 
within the state of Zacatecas. According to the last census, the state of Aguas 
Calientes has four cities, four villages, forty-nine haciendas, three hundred and fifty- 
five ranches, eighteen thousand five hundred and two houses, besides three hundred 

and eighty-one that are being constructed, 

sixty-eight Catholic churches, and two Prot- 
estant. The eastern districts consist of 

elevated table-lands, some five thousand to 

six thousand feet above the level of the sea. 

The western portion includes the sierras of 

Laurel and Pinal, spurs of the Sierra Madre 

or Cordillera. The table-lands produce 

abundant crops of cereals and a variety of 

fruits, including olives, figs, grapes, and 

pears. It is divided into four districts, — 

Aguas Calientes, Rincon de Romos, Asien- 

tos, and Calvillo. 

The capital is Aguas Calientes, which 

means hot waters. It is a very attractive 

city of about forty thousand inhabitants, 

noted for its hot springs, well-appointed 

bath-houses, and healthy climate. At this 

point there is now being erected what will 

be one of the largest silver-copper smelting 

plants in the world. One of the most cele- 
brated and largely attended fairs of the 

republic (the Feast of San Marcos) is held 

at Aguas Calientes in the month of April in 

each year, when thousands of people from 

all parts of the country throng the streets 

and plazas of this old and beautiful city. Aguas CaHentes has especial attractions for lady 

tourists because of the beautiful needle-work (drawn-work) which is brought to all trains by the 

venders, for sale at very low prices. 

The city takes its name from the warm mineral springs in its neighborhood. The old roads 




Senor Don Rafael Arellano, 

Governor of Agl'as Calientes. 



25^ 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 




Street Scene in Aguas Calientes. 



from Mexico to Sonora and Du- 
rango and that from San Luis 
Potosi to Guadalajara meet here. 
The baths are reached by a long 
avenue of superb cottonwood- 
trees, and are well built of a 
soft red stone. The baths are 
very cheap and much frequented. 
On one side, through a canal, 
flows the surplus water from the 
springs, which is used gratis for 
bathing by those unable to pay 
the small charge of the bath es- 
tablishment and by the washer- 
women. There is a handsome 
alameda (or park) and a paseo, 
as the grand avenue of these 
towns is called. The country 
around is very fertile and highly 

cultivated. The climate is delightful, the air being warm and the changes in temperature 

between November and April varying less than twenty degrees. 

From Aguas Calientes a branch of the Mexican Central Railway extends to Tampico, on 

the Gulf of Mexico, passing en route through Salinas, noted for its extensive salt deposits, 

probably the greatest on the American continent, and San Luis Potosi, the capital of the state 

of the same name. 

In the tropical altitudes of Mexico, and in the hot springs sections, as at Aguas Calientes, 

without regard to altitude, there is a sort of Egyptian disregard of the conventionalities in attire 

and a disposition to take a daily 

fashion hint from the Garden of 

Eden instead of from Paris, the 

children discarding even the fie- 

leaf. The water-carrier of Cairo 

is much like his brother of Gua- 
najuato, where a long earthen 

jar is used. The groups about 

the fountains all over the repub- 
lic, with jars of pottery borne 

on the women's heads on pro- 
tecting turban-like rings, or bal- 

anced on the men's shoulders, 

are also Oriental. 

Aguas Calientes, althouoh 

small, is one of the important 

states in Mexico. It is half-way 

between the city of Mexico and 

the northern border, with a Kiosk in the Park of San Marcos, Aguas Calientes. 




AGUAS CALIENTES 



253 




Temple of San Marcos, Aguas Calientes. 



branch line to San Luis Potosi. It is noted for its warm, healtliy climate and its constant sun- 
shine. Many invalids from the southern portions go there, and it is destined to become an 
important health resort. No tour of Mexico is complete without a visit to this beautiful state. 
The drawn-work manufactured by the Indians excels in beauty the celebrated Fayal work, 
which is so much better known. 

The governor of Aguas Calientes is Senor Don Rafael Arellano, and to his wise adminis- 
tration the state owes its present peaceful condition and its marked progress in all the arts and 
sciences. 




Church of the Ascension, Aguas Calientes. 



254 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XXIX 



QUERETARO 

/^^fci^ OUTH of San Luis Potosi and just west of Hidalgo Is the old state of Oueretaro, 
^,A.^k with an area of three thousand four hundred and twenty-nine square miles. It 
1 occupies a part ot the Cordilleran plateau, and, while it contains much fertile land, 
m^^W is traversed by numerous mountain spurs. In these, however, many minerals lie 
waiting for the enterprising capitalist. Gold, silver, copper, lead, antimony, quick- 
silver, and tin are found. Cotton is grown in some parts, grain, tobacco, and sugar are exten- 
sively cultivated, and a good many cattle are 
raised. Fine forests of timber and precious 
woods abound also. The state is divided into 
six pai'tidos, — Oueretaro, San Juan del Rio, 
Amealco, jalpan, Tollman, and Cadereyta. 

The chief towns, besides the capital Oue- 
retaro, are San Juan del Rio and Tollman. 
Oueretaro will arrest the attention of the trav- 
eller because of its beauty, and also because 
the career of Maximilian was there brought to 
a tragic close upon the " Hill of the Bells." It 
is an old city, dating back to the Otomites, in 
1400. Its churches are numerous, imposing, 
and beautiful. A small stream flows through 
the town, furnishing irrigation, — all that is 
needed in this whole land to make it prolific 
in crops and fruit. 

Oueretaro has a population of fifty thou- 
sand, and is situated one hundred and ten 
miles northwest of Mexico, on a j^lateau six 
thousand feet above sea-level. It occupies the 
sides and summits of several hills, and is sepa- 
rated from picturesque little suburbs by a 
small stream. The streets are well laid out, 
the houses are regular, and the city is one of 
the finest in the republic. Palms and bananas 
grow in the open squares, with an occasional tree of scarlet hibiscus. The houses are more 
pretentious architecturally than most Mexican cities can boast, and give an air of comfort and 
wealth. The parish churches are magnificently decorated. The town has about fifty churches 




Senor Coronel Don Francisco Cosio, 

Governor of Quek^taro. 



OUERETARO 



255 



in all, a college, an art school, and an academy of 
design. Water is supplied by an aqueduct five 
miles long, which crosses a plain upon arches some 
of which are ninety feet high. This aqueduct is 
connected with a tunnel, through which the water 
is brought si.x; miles, and is a marvel of skilful and 
substantial work. The expense was borne mainly 
by one generous person, to whom the city has 
gratefully reared a beautiful monument on one 
of its plazas. The Avater-carriers, in their quaint 
dress, gather about the public fountains to fill their 
jars for domestic purposes. 

There are manufactures of woollen and cotton 
goods, leather, soap, cigars, and pulque. It is in- 
teresting to visit the large cotton-factory known as 
the " Hercules Mills." A colossal statue of Her- 
cules, which cost fourteen thousand dollars before 
it left Italy, stands near a fountain in the midst of 
ornamental trees. Some fifteen hundred women 
and girls are employed in this mill, the best opera- 
tives receiving about forty cents per day. 

Oueretaro is noted for its opals, which have been 
worked for centuries and are still unexhausted. 

This city has a melancholy interest because 
here Maximilian was shot. It will be remem- 
bered that Napoleon "the Little" undertook, while the Civil War was in progress, and 
because the United States government was occupied in suppressing a rebellion, to establish 

an empire in Mexico. He took upon himself the task 
of exporting an emperor to Mexico, — Maximilian of 
Austria, a dreamer imbued with the idea of the di\'ine 
right of kings. He listened to the seductive assur- 
ances of an emperor who himself had secured the right 
to rule by rapine and blood. Carlotta, the beautiful 
wife of Maximilian, was ambitious, an ardent Catholic, 
and the Pope gave the new rulers consecration and his 
blessing. The history is interesting, though both emperor 
and empress exhibited a spirit of vanity and frivolity 
and a disregard of the rights of the people that was 
lamentably weak and heartless. \Mien the CI\'il \A'ar 
was closed, the United States government put sixty thou- 
sand troops into Texas on the Mexican border, and then 
the Little Napoleon was told in unmistakable language 
that the French troops who sustained Maximilian must 
be withdrawn. Maximilian was advised to abdicate, and 

^ . , ^ would have done so but for the proud and ambitious 

ilMMMKNi TO Dona Josefa Ortiz de '■ 

DoMiNGUEz, QuERETARo. Carfotta. She volunteered to go to France to Intercede 




Facade of the Ruins of San Augustin, Queretaro 




256 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



with Napoleon. He was deaf to her entreaties, and she then fled to the Pope for relief, but 
with no better success. Repulsed, her finely strung nature succumbed, and she became a 
maniac, — perhaps the best surcease, except death, from the humiliation, the defeat, and the 
o-reater arief that were to follow. 

Maximilian, with a few thousand troops, was shut into this city. On the night of May 19, 
1867, the city was captured, and he was tried and condemned to be shot, together with his two 




Court- Yard of the Federal Palace, Queretaro. 



trusted generals, Mejia and Miramon. The execution took place two miles out from the city 
one month later. Maximilian said, as the fatal pilgrimage was begun, "I am ready; it is a 
beautiful day to die." Holding the crucifix over his breast, as an indication to the soldiers 
where to fire, and with his faithful gfenerals at his side to share the same fate, he received the 
death-dealing bullet. The place is marked by three rude stones within an iron-railed enclosure, 



OUERETARO 



'■57 



each stone bearing the name of one of the victims. Thus ended the last attempt to plant a 
monarchy upon this continent. 

Oueretaro possesses two of the masterpieces of Tresguerras, the churches of Santa Clara 
and Santa Rosa. Tresguerras was an architect, a sculptor, an engraver, a painter, and a poet, 
and he trained a great many workmen to carry out his ideas. He was born at Cela)'a in 
1765, and died there in 1833. The church of Carmen at Celaya, with its wonderful dome, was 
one of his great works, and the interiors of Santa Rosa and Santa Clara, both of them old 
convent churches at Oueretaro, are two others. Both have been mutilated by the remoxal of 
the grand altars and of the decoration of the chancels, and by the substitution of tawdry modern 
constructions. Otherwise they are both superb examples of art, Santa Rosa being much the 




Aqueduct at Queretaro. 

finer. There is nothing in Europe more beautiful than this interior decoration. They are pos- 
sessions of which Oueretaro should be proud and which she should guard with jealous care 
as incomparable monuments of Mexican art. Words are inadequate to describe the splendor 
of the wonderfully rich wood-carving, heavily gilded, the elaborate and graceful metal-work, 
including balconies and grilles of wrought iron, and the painting and sculpture, all from the 
hand or design of this great artist. As the work of a great Mexican they should be cherished 
by the entire nation, and it is to be hoped that no further act of vandalism will be tolerated. 

In the government palace of Oueretaro Governor Cosio has established a museum known 
as "The Historical Chamber," which is full of famous relics that have a bearing on great events 
of Mexican history. On the walls hang the portraits of former go\>ernors, including that of the 
present one. Among other curious objects are the mortuary casket in which the remains of 

17 



258 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Dona Josefa Ortiz were brought from their former resting-place in the city of Mexico. Above 
it, in a glass case, is the identical old lock through the keyhole of which Josefa Ortiz (who was 
the wife of the corregidor) gave warning that the plot for Mexican freedom had been dis- 
covered. On the wall above the casket hangs her portrait, with that of Hidalgo and other 
heroes of the independence. On the wall are the portraits of the generals who fought against 
the French, and facing them are those of the imperial leaders. In this room is also preserved 
the rude coffin in which Maximilian's remains were brought back to the town to be embalmed 
before beingf sent to Austria, the blood-stains still showingf on the bottom. On the side is the 
full print of the back of his hand where in jolting it struck against the side of the coffin. His 
remains now rest in the lovely castle of Miramar, by the sounding Adriatic. The bodies of 




General \ik\v oi ihe IIi.rcui.es Factory, QuERfeTARO. 

Miramon and Mejia were carried to Mexico and buried beneath stately monuments in the 
mausoleum of illustrious dead, in the pantheon close by the church of San Fernando, and near 
them, under a still handsomer monument, lie the remains of President Juarez, who refused to 
pardon them. The remains of Miramon have been lately claimed by his native city, Puebla, 
and they have been reinterred there with honors, 

Oueretaro was founded by the Otomite Indians in 1400, captured by a lieutenant of Cortez 
in 1531, and besieged in the Mexican revolution of 1810, when it stood for the cause of freedom 
and suffered for it. " Many a tempest's breath and battle's rage" has passed over Oueretaro. 

In the public square is a monument to Columbus. On one side of this are the names of 
the distinguished men the city has produced, on another the names of those who deserve 
remembrance for their benefactions to the city, on the third side are inscribed the memorable 



OUE RETARD 



259 



events in the city's history, with their dates, and on the fourth the ele\-ation of the city above 
sea-level, its latitude and longitude, its mean temperature, with its highest and lowest range, its 
rainfall, and similar information. 

The church of Santa Rosa was built as a thank-offering for the suppression of bandits and 
contrabandistas about 1752, and toward the end of the century was thoroughly reconstructed by 
Tresguerras. Mr. F. W. Church, the artist, has made a very close study of Persian architecture, 
and he thinks it remarkable that 
an artist who had never been 
outside of Mexico should have 
reproduced some of the most 
delicate characteristics of that 
architecture. 

The country about Ouere- 
taro dimples and curves into a 
nest of sunny valleys, rounded 
into great beauty and widely 
different from the arid plains ot 
some of the plateau regions. 

San Juan del Rio is a 
pleasing little town of about 
eighteen thousand inhabitants. 
From here the train climbing 
the sides of the mountains gives 
the passenger a fine view of the 
beautiful valley below, and at 
Marquez station reaches the 
highest point on the line, eight 

thousand one hundred and thirty-three feet above sea-level. From this point there is a gradual 
descent of fourteen hundred and seventy-six feet in twenty-six miles. 

The condition of public instruction throughout the state is most gratifying. Besides the 
numerous primary and grammar schools there are a normal school, a civil college, and the 
academy of San Fernando, so that the beneficent influence of good schools is felt even in the 
smallest villages. 

Governor Cosio, of Oueretaro, is in hearty sympathy with the importance of preserving 
such noble works as the churches of Santa Rosa and Santa Clara, the monuments of a great 
Mexican architect. Governor Cosio is a fine type of the Mexican gentleman and statesman. 
He is a man of sterling character, universally esteemed, patriodc, public-spirited, and progres- 
sive. He speaks excellent English, and would be an honor to any country. A distinguished 
gentleman of honorable ancestry, his tact and integrity of purpose make him a credit to the 
high post which he has so long occupied and in which he has become firmly intrenched in the 
hearts of a loving people. 




Water-Carriers at the Public Fountain, Queretaro. 



26o 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XXX 



GUANAJUATO 

3UST west of Oueretaro is the larger state of Guanajuato, which is one of the most 
important states of Mexico on account of its mining interests, by far the richest 
in America. It has an area of eleven thousand one hundred and thirty square 
miles, with about a million population. This state is divided into five partidos, — 
Guanajuato, Leon, Celaya, Allende, and Sierra Gorda. Almost the whole of the 
surface lies within the plateau of Anahuac, at an average height of six thousand feet above sea- 
level, although it is extremely irregular, being traversed by two mountain-chains, and containing 

three peaks upward of nine thousand feet, — 
Los Llamios, El Gigante, and El Cubilete. 

There are many picturesque and fertile 
valleys in the southern half Lake Juriria, 
near the capital, is twelve miles long and 
four and one-half miles wide, and abounds 
in fine fish. Most of the mountains are por- 
phyritic, although the Cerro del Cubilete is 
chiefly basaltic. The soil is exceedingly 
fertile, even for Mexico, and large crops of 
all kinds of grain can be depended on. The 
climate is generally salubrious, and there are 
numerous hot springs frequented by invalids. 
Chile, from which Capsiciun annu2mi is ob- 
tained, is one of the staple products ; maguey 
is plentiful ; the sugar-cane does well in the 
warmer valleys ; the olive and most of the 
European fruits flourish ; and fine timber is 
found in the mountains. 

Mining is, however, the chief industry, 
although the native Indians devote much 
care to agriculture. Guanajuato is one of 
the oldest mining reo-ions of the New World. 
Only one-fourth of the area of the state has 
been scientifically explored, and yet there 
are already over three hundred mines per- 
fectly studied and capable of giving good profits. The first mine worked was at a place 
called Veta de la Cruz, in the year 1548. Later, in the year 1554, work was undertaken 




Senor Joaquin Obregon Goxzalez, 
Governor of Guanajuato. 



GUANAJUATO 



261 



in the Veta Madre. The oreat value of these mines can be fruessed at from the magnificent 
buildings in that region that are still standing in a state of admirable preserxation. The first 
mining settlement was called Santa Ana ; afterward Guanajuato was built, the first church 
occupying the situation of the present Municipal Pantheon. In 155S the mines Rayas and 
Mellado were opened within the emplacement of the Veta Madre. The principal mines are 
La Luz, Valenciana, Rayas, Mellado Peregrina, La Loca and Adjuntas (annexes). The total 
product of all, according to the data that have been gathered, amounts to eight hundred and 
fifty million dollars. 

La Luz in about ten years yielded some eighty million dollars. Rayas and Mellado during 
forty-four years rendered nearly one hundred and eighty million dollars. Rayas has made 




Theatre Juarez, Guanajuato. 

fabulous yields of gold. It has been related that in some instances the quintal has been sold 
at one hundred and thirty-two dollars. On other occasions the product of one hundred and 
twenty-six arrobas (an arroba is about twenty-five pounds) has yielded twelve hundred marks. 

The celebrated mines of Valenciana, discovered in 1770, and abandoned during the war of 
independence, in 1810, had up to that time produced two hundred and seventy-one million dol- 
lars. Since the workings have been taken up by several more or less powerful companies, the 
results have always been proportional to the amount of capital engaged. It has been figured 
that the Valenciana has been worked only one-eighth of its extent, and that it is susceptible of 
producing five million dollars per year for the next three centuries. The \'alenciana mine is 
situated on the great Guanajuato vein, one of the most considerable that e.xists, — the Mother 
Vein {^Veta Madre), which is in some places sixty metres wide. The ores of this vein are 



262 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



silver sulphuret, black prismatic silver, native silver, seleniuret of silver and gold, gray copper- 
and silver-bearing blendes. The working of the mines of Guanajuato is carried out with a 
oreat deal of intelligence. In several of them are shafts and tunnels of colossal dimensions, 
that of Cayetano especially being more than two thousand metres long. The wealth of the ■ 
Valenciana is proverbial throughout the world ; Baron de Humboldt, on his visit to Guana- 
juato, found a shaft eighteen hundred feet deep. He made a special study of that mine, 
an account of which is to be found in his printed works. Suffice it to say that the working 
company has spent the enormous amount of one million two hundred thousand dollars in the 

construction of shafts for the 
extraction of the metal, the 
deepest of all, called Guadalupe, 
being three hundred and forty- 
five metres in a vertical direc- 
tion. These mines produce at 
present more than two thousand 
loads of mineral weekly, with 
which the mills of the company 
ai'e fed. 

Santa Rosa is one of the 
oldest and most promising mines 
for its wealth of gold and silver, 
and also for the economy with 
which it is worked. The yield 
of gold is marvellous, and no 
other mine of the Veta Madre 
region has ever rendered equal 
products. The Purisima de los 
Hernandez, for instance, has 
yielded ore valued at thirty-one thousand two hundred and forty-six dollars and eighty-one 
cents for a load of fourteen arrobas, or three hundred and fifty Mexican pounds. Public atten- 
tion is now concentrated on Santa Rosa, as some of its mines are in full bonanza. Some of 
them, for instance, San Guillermo and Trinidad, yield weekly from five thousand up to twenty 
thousand dollars each. Labor is extremely cheap, the highest price being twelve dollars the 
metre of depth. Richly endowed by nature, the country contains throughout its immense 
extent rich metalliferous deposits exceeding "the wealth of Ormuz or of Ind." The Innumer- 
able enterprises for developing the country have produced, with more or less profit, colossal 
sums. If the work had been directed from the beginning with Intelligent economy, the impor- 
tance and profits of the exploitations would have been much greater. As for the riches already 
extracted from the hills In the principal mining regions, they are insignificant compared with 
those still shut up In the bowels of the earth. 

The name Guanajuato Is derived from an Indian word meaning "the hill of the singing 
frog." The earliest settlers were the Tarrascan Indians, who, upon arriving here, found a large 
stone In the shape of a frog, of which they made an Idol, and they named the site of the future 
city Guanajuato, or the Hill of the Frogs. It was founded In 1554, and made a city in 1741. 
The site of the city was a gift from Mendoza to Don Roderlgo Vasques, one of the conquista- 
dores, as a reward for his military services. Guanajuato Is one of the three greatest mining 




A Pretty Little Home on the Road to the Presa de la Olla. 



GUANAJUATO 



26: 



centres of the republic. It is tlie capital of the state. The peculiar situation of the city, with 
its crooked and irregular streets and its fortress-like houses, makes it look ver)' ancient and 
feudal, and, oddly, amid all this antiquity stretch the wires of the teleyrai^h and telephone, 
linking- the old civilization with the new in a way that is strangel)' paradoxical. The heart of 
the city is the Plaza de Mejia Mora, where there is a tablet which states that here Benito Leon 
Acosta, Mexico's distinguished engineer and man of science, was born. 

The climate of Guanajuato is temperate : no extremes of heat or cold mar its comfort. It 
is a land of blue skies and fresh breezes ; the atmosphere is clear and invigorating. Mellow 
sunlight pours its flood of gold on fruitful fields. The forests are rich in timber of great value : 
oak, laurel, magnolia, mahogany, gum, rosewood, ebony, cedar, and many other woods abound. 




Mummies at the Pantheon, Guanajuato. 

All the oil-bearing and medicinal trees and plants are found within her borders. Fruits and 
vegetables grow^ luxuriantly and in endless variety. Every possible taste can be satisfied with 
honeyed or acid fruits, rich, delicious nuts, and nourishing, palatable vegetables. The streams 
swarm with fish fit for the table of an epicure. Although as yet the farm appliances are 
somewhat primitive, improvements are being introduced rapidly, and the land is surprisino-ly 
productive of all the known grains and other valuable agricultural growths. It is a land where 
the sky is as deeply blue as sapphire, where the sun is rarely hidden, where tropical flowers 
of unspeakable magnificence deck every hedge and swing from every limb, and where the birds 
are like bits of flying flame or winged jewels. 

Guanajuato is one of the quaintest and most delightful places in the world, — a walled city 
among the mountains, set upon the sides of heights so steep that the houses seem to clino- to 



264 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



the rock, and that a misstep might precipitate one into the midst of a plaza three or four 
hundred feet below. 

This lovely, bewildering spot is full of lanes and archways and winding market-places, where 
the picturesque people seem to be selling every oddity imaginable. The upper balconies of the 
beautiful homes are gay with awnings and flowers ; the old church of the Jesuits is magnificent in 
fine arches of soft pink stone and carvings like lace-work ; the overhanging hills show brilliantly 
against the blue sky wherever one turns ; through a hundred different arches some vision 

of slender-pillared inner courts 
bright with blossoms and fresh 
greenery continually flashes out. 
In fact, such is the uneven- 
ness of the streets that in many 
cases the houses seem to have 
been built in an amphitheatre, 
and often the doors of one 
dwelling are almost on a level 
with the roofs of the next. 
Many of the streets are too 
narrow for a wheeled vehicle, 
and all the older ones are ex- 
tremely irregular. A mountain 
torrent passes through some of 
the eastern ones, which some- 
times rises to a flood. 

The streets are for the 
most part irregular, precipitous, 
rock-paved paths, upon which a 
wheeled vehicle is seldom seen, and down whose steep inclines half-naked men, women, and 
children of the peon class contest the right of way with gorgeously accoutred horsemen and 
droves of patient pack-laden burros. 

The fame of Guanajuato, however, rests on her great mining industry, and a visit to one 
of her haciendas for the reduction of ore and to a mine is essential to even a cursory under- 
standing of her resources. Many of the mines of Guanajuato are of comparatively easy access, 
some being entered by tunnel direct into the mountain, along which rails are laid for conve- 
nience in removing ore by horse-car, and others by steps cut in the rock. Should the would-be 
visitor be a woman, however, she will probably meet with obstacles, on account of the strange 
superstition in regard to the presence of a woman in a mine. But Friday is pay-day, and on 
Saturday the men frequently prefer to drink rather than to work ; consequently, on the latter 
day she can visit the mine to her heart's content. 

A visit to a hacienda or reduction works where the whole process of milling ore is executed 
by mule-power is one of the curiosities of Mexico, and nowhere is this process to be seen to . 
better advantage than in the Hacienda de la Purisima. 

In addition to its other points of interest, Guanajuato can boast of a theatre building just 
completed after the expenditure of twenty years of labor and a million of dollars. It is sur- 
passed in elegance by no other structure of its class on the North American continent, with the 
possible exception of the Auditorium of Chicago. The interior of the Juarez Theatre is mag- 




The Castle of Graniditas, Guanajuato. 



GUANAJUATO 



265 



nificently decorated, and is a dream of color. The proscenium arch is of the horseshoe form, 
in red, gold, and blue stucco relief The noble parterre gives ample space to the large and 
comfortable seats, and these, with the three tiers of boxes, draped in old-gold plush, give a 
seating capacity of thirteen hundred people. The walls of the bo.xes and of the whole interior 
are stencilled in the Catalan style with dull reds and golds, which set off superbly the costumes 
of the senoritas and their lovely faces, for the ladies of Guanajuato are uncommonly beautiful 
and gracious 

A visitor who inclines rather to the curious than to the picturesque or practical will perhaps 
give the cemetery of Guanajuato, or "pantheon," precedence among the "sights" of the place. 
This burial-place is on the top of a steep hill which overlooks the city, and consists of an area 




Dam Manuel Gonzalez, Guanajuato. 

enclosed by what appears from the outside to be a high wall, but which proves from within to 
be a receptacle for bodies placed in tiers, much as the narrow confines of their native valley 
compelled them to live. The pantheon is enclosed by high walls, entered through ponderous 
gates. The dead are buried for the little time that the peculiar dryness of the soil and air takes 
to mummify them. Then they are filed away in pigeon-holes in the walls. Each pigeon-hole 
may contain the remains of a citizen, but it is not so occupied unless a specific rental is paid 
promptly. It is customary to pay this rental for a couple of years, but if the relatives of the 
deceased are particularly wealthy and have an unusually high social standing, the}' sometimes 
continue to pay the dues for five years, while if the relatives are correspondingly below the 
average the assessment may be paid for only a few weeks or months. When the rentals are 
no longer forthcoming, the partially mummified remains are taken out of the pigeon-holes and 



266 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



corded up in subterranean chambers tunnelled out of the solid rock. Here the skeleton- 
o-uarded walls are musty, the light is pale and gruesome, and the air is laden with the odor of 
the decaying dead. On all sides are the spectral forms. They are arranged upright around 
the walls, and there they keep their silent vigil until disintegration proceeds so far that the 
bones are no longer articulated. Once they fall asunder, they are heaped up from stony floor 
to rocky roofs, and there are many tunnels full of these human bones. 

They are often no more than skeletons, these corpses that fringe the walls of the vaulted 
passages. Eyeless sockets stare at one, and gaping mouths look as if death had come with 
pain, while a piece of dried flesh with hair, with now a boot and then a fleck of trousers, remain 

attached to all that is left of 
what may once have been a 
prominent citizen. 

Indeed, in many ways this 
old town of sixty thousand 
inhabitants is a very strange 
admixture of a new world and 
the centuries-old Orient. The 
walled streets, the white cloth- 
ing, the public fountains, the 
stone balconies, the sandalled 
feet, the deep sky, all make 
one realize that yesterday is 
joining hands with to-day in 
bringing Guanajuato to the 
front as one of the most enter- 
prising towns of the republic. 

The dam " Manuel Gon- 
zalez" cannot fail to interest 
the reader. The works of the 
reservoir were commenced on the 5th of March, 1887, and completed in 1893. The amount of 
expenses, including prizes, was over two hundred thousand dollars. The material employed 
is a metamorphic rock, known in the locality as green rock, and exceedingly handsome. In 
the ornaments are used sandstone of different colors, called loseros, and the red stone from 
the Bufa quarry. The effect of these combinations is beautiful beyond description ; and all 
these varied materials are the products of the immediate locality. A wall, containing over forty 
thousand cubic metres, has been built, measuring one hundred and sixty-six metres in thickness 
at the base or foundation and twenty-four at the upper part. The maximum height in the 
interior is thirty-three metres and eighty-eight centimetres. This dam contains one million six 
hundred thousand cubic metres of water. On account of the short distance from the capital — 
only five kilometres — and the difference in the height of the ground, the city of Guanajuato is 
supplied with water enough for all its needs, and it will be possible to establish hydraulic motors 
of incalculable usefulness. 

Public instruction has been pushed to the front, the systems of teaching being in conformity 
with the progress of modern times. The result has been the increase of the school population. 
There are now in the state no less than five hundred schools, with an attendance of thirty thou- 
sand pupils of both sexes. The cost of maintaining the schools of public instruction and of 




Silver-Mine of San Xavier. 



GUANAJUATO 



267 



employing teachers of high ability is o\er two hundred thousand dollars. There are fixe insti- 
tutions, with all the requirements of modern times, de\oted to the highest branches of teaching. 
The government of the state, attentive to the welfare of its people, issued a decree making 
public instruction obligatory, and assuming control of it. 

While we were in the state of Guanajuato we were shown through the great woollen-mills 
of Soria, which are a short distance from Celaya. These are very handsome factories, belong- 
ing to the Gonzalez family. There is a very complete little village around them, and the 
mills turn out beautiful fine woollen goods, equal to the best produced by the manufactories 
of Europe. 

Among other interesting towns of Guanajuato is Salamanca, a busy little cit\', celebrated 
for the straw and leather goods manufactured there. 

San Miguel de Allende was named for, and was the birthplace of the patriot Allende. 
The city is on the east side of the railroad and about a mile and a half from it. It is spread 
out on the sloping sides of a great hill, — one of the most picturesque towns in Me.xico, and 




The Presa, Guanajuato. 

famous for its baths, where the water gushes from the rocks on the hill-side, and is conveyed 
fresh to the baths at a most comfortable temperature. These ever-running springs, furnishing 
an abundance of water, run down in sparkling streams and miniature cascades through the 
most lovely gardens of fruits and flowers. The plaza is a beautiful one, densely shaded by 
luxuriant trees, under which the natives, in brightly colored costumes, group themselves on 
market-days, when the band plays in the evening, making pretty pictures fit for a canvas. The 
hotels face the plaza, the windows overlooking the novel scene. On one side is the Casa de 



268 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

Loreto. The modern spires of the chapel, designed by an untutored native, contrast strangely 
with the square and Moorish style of the older buildings beside it. 

San Juan de las Vegas is a typical Mexican town, primitive in style, where no foreigner 
has his home, where there are groves of oranges and lemons and bananas, where fruits may be 
had for the picking, and where the native " lazies" the time away in indolent do-nothingness 
behind the rows of cactus that hedge the streets. 

Celaya was founded by the Spaniards in 1570. But, for that matter, the Spaniards pene- 
trated a thousand miles farther north than this and founded Santa Fe, in New Mexico, and 
then over five hundred miles farther than that and founded Monterey, in California, before the 
English had established their first feeble colony at Jamestown, in Virginia. 

Celaya is a city of great beauty in the midst of a fertile country. Here the tourist meets 
the vender of opals, strawberries (at all seasons), and dulces, a native confection, or rather the 
vender meets the traveller on all trains, night or day. At Celaya are many fine old churches, 
especially Our Lady of Carmen, which contains some frescos of note and several paintings 
well worth seeing. It is built on a level plain in the valley of Laja. 

Salvatierra is noticeable in the distance from the glittering of its many church domes, which, 
being covered by glazed tiling, present a pleasing contrast to the dark green of the many 
shade-trees with which the streets are lined. Salvatierra has a population of ten thousand, and 
is something of a trading-centre. There is a large woollen-mill, which gives it some manufac- 
turing importance. 

Acambaro is the most satisfying town in Mexico. It is delightfully primitive, and the fact 
that it is an important railway junction-point has not deprived it of its antique quaintness. 
The town lies westward of the station, and, although scarcely half a mile away, is so completely 
hidden by the trees that only the church-towers can be seen peering above them and showing 
their white outlines against the blue background of the high hills beyond the town. The lover 
of the quaint and antique will find much to charm in this old town. Acambaro is the junction 
of the western division of the Mexican National Railroad, leading to Morelia and Patzcuaro 
and the beautiful lake region of Mexico. 

The very pretty town of Maravatio has the usual complement of queer-looking old churches 
and attractive plazas. Its red-tiled houses give it a picturesque appearance. At Maravatio 
connection is made with the Michoacan and Pacific Railroad, under construction, to the west 
coast of Mexico. 

Skirting the valley of Solis is a beetling cliff, called by the natives " El Salto de Juan 
Medina," the tradition being that a famous bandit, one Juan Medina, being hotly pursued by 
the authorities, leaped his horse from the precipice and was dashed in pieces on the rocks below. 

Near Rio Hondo is a great meteoric stone as big as a car, called by the natives the " moon- 
stone," as they believe it fell from that planet. There are some strange hieroglyphics on the 
stone, and, from its eng-ravinsf, it is believed to have a more ancient orimn than the famous 
Calendar stone. 

Leon is situated in a valley noted for the fertility of its soil, and has a population of about 
one hundred thousand people. It is a great manufacturing city, and one of its principal pro- 
ductions is the beautiful soft leather clothing, delicately embroidered in gold and silver bullion, 
worn by the wealthier classes on their estates, although largely discarded in the cities. 

Away back in 1680 a Spanish garrison was established around the infant city of Leon. 
Leon in the early history of New Spain became celebrated for its shoes, rebozos, saddles, 
spurs, small ironware, leather, etc., a reputation which it still retains. It is pre-eminently a city 



GUANAJUATO 



269 



of small factories. In thousands of houses hand-looms are running, producing- blankets and 
rebozos, and small shoe-factories are scattered all o\er the city, where the head of the family 
can be seen in the front room working, assisted at times by the wife and )'ounger members of 
the family. They are a prominent and ever-present feature of this quaint city. The general 
cleanliness of the streets is noticeable. There is no poor quarter. The houses of the well-to-do 
and of the working classes are to be found together on e\ery block. There are miles of streets 
of one-story houses, with whitewashed fronts and little gardens or patios in the rear, where the 
workmen live. It is common for two or three trades to be represented in one family. Zapa- 
teros (shoemakers), rebozeros (weavers), and factory girls all belong to the same family. 

One of the interesting sights of the city is on Sunday mornings to see the artisans carrying 
their wares about the streets for sale or delivery to their employers. Men loaded with shoes, 
saddles, leather, clothing, rebozos, spurs, small ironware, etc., crowd the sidewalks, anxious to 
realize on their week's work before noon. 

Leon is known as the "Queen of the Bajlo," and is the largest city in that section of die 
republic. It has a population of about seventy thousand. The city is regularly laid out, with 
a central plaza and twelve minor plazas, and among its more notable buildings are the Casa 
Municipal (city hall), Alhondiga (commercial exchange), barracks, and jail. The main plaza has 
a fountain in its centre and is 
planted with trees. Special men- 
tion must be made of the cal- 
zada and the park. The former is 
a magnificent promenade about 
a quarter of a mile in length by 
two hundred feet in width, the 
centre tiled and paved for pedes- 
trians, with seats extending its 
entire length, and carriage-drives 
on both sides, also shaded wdth 
magnificent rows of trees. This 
is a favorite resort of the public 
in the afternoon, and on Sunday 
many equipages may be seen 
there that would do credit to the 
metropolis. 

Leon has an opportunity to 
possess at a small cost a boule- 
vard of exceeding beauty by 
connecting the Rio Calle and the park ; the cultivation of the trees should then be pushed, and 
the city would have a paseo of two miles more reaching from park to calzada ; add electric light 
to this, and a fairy-land would be the result. 

On one side of the plaza is the Casa Municipal ; on the other three sides are portales Hned 
with shops. Just outside of the city, on the road leading to Silao, is a picturesque causeway 
shaded by trees, that is the paseo of the town. This prett}' place is reached by a tramway from 
the plaza. 

The curacy of Leon was founded before the year 1586, for in that year the first curate, 
Alonzo Espinoso, w^as slain by the Chichimec Indians. During the ensuing two hundred years 




Triumphal Arch in the Paseo at Leon. 



2/0 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



the curacy was administered by the Franciscans, by whom the existing parish church, dedicated 
to San Sebastian, was erected early in the last century. It was remodelled in 1834. Adjoining 
this is the small church of the Tercer Orden, also a Franciscan foundation. The church of 
Nuestra Seiiora de los Angeles, also a Jesuit foundation, and the oldest church in the city, 
contains some noteworthy carvings by the artist Si.xto Munoz, a native of Leon. La Soledad 
is believed to be contemporaneous with the foundation of the town. 

The climate of Silao is equable and delightful. Many who find the capital too high for 
comfort come to Silao, which is two thousand five hundred feet lower, and therefore affords 
relief and a radical change from the hurly-burly of the city, at an elevation of more than seven 
thousand feet. 

Irapuato is a thriving business town of some fourteen thousand inhabitants, and is widely 
known as the "strawberry station," from the fact that fresh ripe strawberries can be purchased 
here at the train-side every day in the year for twenty-five cents, Mexican money, per basket. 

The present governor of Guanajuato is Senor Joaquin Obregon Gonzalez. 




JALISCO 



271 



CHAPTER XXXI 



JALISCO 

3ALISCO is one of the richest, most important, and most populous of the Mexican 
states. It has an area of one hundred and one thousand four hundred and thirty 
square kilometres (forty-eight thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven square miles), 
with a population of one million three hundred thousand. Its principal river is the 
Grande, or Santiago, which forms near the village of Juanacadan a beautiful cascade, 
which tourists have aptly named the "Niagara 
of Mexico," and which is reached by an elec- 
tric road from El Castillo station. It may be 
mentioned that these falls furnish the electric 
lighting for the city of Guadalajara, fifteen 
miles away. The river is here five hundred 
and sixty feet wide, and it pours the waters 
from Lake Chapala and an area of forty 
thousand square miles over the shelf of rock 
sixty-five feet high at a single leap. There 
are smaller rapids above and below. 

Besides this, the same river has many 
other picturesque falls on its way to the 
Pacific Ocean. Among the lakes which stud 
with beauty this prosperous state is Lake 
Chapala, larger than Lake Geneva, and the 
largest and most beautiful in the republic. 
This lake, by reason of its area of eight hun- 
dred and ten square miles, is sometimes 
known by the name of the Chapalan Sea. 
Lake Chapala is a summer resort of the 
highest grade, and is frequented by the 
most prominent residents of Guadalajara 
and other large towns. There has recently 
been discovered a large deposit of petro- 
leum discharging from the bottom of the lake. 

In this state there are fifteen silver-mines, besides three of gold, five of copper, three of 
lead, two of mercury, and eight of iron. The richest mining district is that of Comanja. 

The soil of Jalisco, by reason of its varied climate, produces all kinds of fruits. Its moun- 
tains are covered with trees, some of which are valuable and in great demand. In the group 





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Senor General Don Luis C. Curiel, 

Governor of Jalisco. 



272 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



of mountains forming the Sierra Mascota lies a rich mineral district, that of Tepic, nearly all 
silver-mines ; beside which there are other districts which could be worked to advantaee. 

Jalisco borders on the Pacific Ocean, as well as on the states of Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, 
Guanajuato, Michoacan, and Colima. In colonial times it was known as the kingdom of Nueva 
Galicia. It is divided into eight cantons, Guadalajara, Lagos, La Barca, Sayula, Etzatlan, Autlan, 
Tuscacuesca, and Colotlan. The Sierra Madre crosses the eastern portion of the state, and 

the principal mountains are 
Tapalpa and Tigre in Sayula, 
and in the south the Nevado 
and the Volcan de Colima, 
the latter twelve thousand -feet 
above the sea and in erup- 
tion most of the time. There 
are many beautiful valleys and 
rivers, the largest of the latter, 
the Santiago, being six hundred 
miles long, rising in Lake 
Lerma in the state of Mexico 
and flowing through Lake Cha- 
pala, which is in itself ninety 
miles long and from ten to 
thirty-five wide. Lakes Sayula 
and Magdalena are smaller, 
but noted for their delicious 
fish. 

The climate of Jalisco 
varies from generally cold in 
the higher and northern altitudes to delightfully mild in Guadalajara and hot on the west coast. 
The capital of Jalisco is Guadalajara, the population of which is estimated at one hundred 
and twenty-five thousand. Beautifully located as it is and having a delightful climate and 
fertile soil, the city is constructed with elegant blocks of houses fronting on clean, wide, and 
well-paved streets, and inhabited by a population noted for hospitality, culture and refinement, 
cheerfulness, politeness, and frankness of character. It easily holds the position of the queen 
city of the republic. Its cathedral, while smaller than that of the metropolis, is much handsomer 
and of greater architectural merit. One of the theatres, the Degollado, is the largest and most 
beautiful in the country. A superb granite penitentiary, built and managed in accordance with 
the latest developments and improvements in that line, is greatly admired by visitors. An 
entire square is covered by the government palace, which, while somewhat resembling the 
national palace in the city of Mexico, is even more harmonious and elegant in its architecture. 
The young ladies of the city rival the dark-eyed heroines of Shakespeare ; and, in fact, during 
the local history love and dark eyes have had a most important influence. It was a romantic 
love-episode and its disastrous termination that caused the short duration of the government 
of New Galicia, a neighboring city, which was intended to be the capital of the province. 

The history of the founding of the city is worthy of notice. In the year 1530, in the expe- 
dition made by Nuno de Beltran Guzman for the conquest of the northwest, the Spaniards 
penetrated into Jalisco and gave to this region the name of Nueva Galicia. Here, in the year 




A Street in Guadalajara. 



274 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



above named, the Captain Juan de Onate founded the Villa del Espiritu Santo de Guadalajara, 
which name was given to the town in compliment to the oidor, whose birthplace was the Spanish 
city Guadalajara in New Castile. But the site then chosen proved undesirable, and a year or 
two later the town was removed to the valley of Tlocatlan, — not by the free choice of the 
townsfolk, but by order of the oidor, — where, by a royal cedula of the Emperor Charles V., 
dated November 8, 1536, it was granted a coat of arms as a city. But this second site became 
the more distasteful the longer they remained in it, and especially because they were exposed 
to the frequent and cruel assaults of the wild Indians. Yet they dreaded to move, for fear of 
the wrath of the oidor, although that functionary had been recalled to Spain to stand trial for 
his many crimes. While the men of the town, in council together, debated what they should 




Santuario Zapopan, Jalisco. 

do, a certain brave woman named Dona Beatriz Hernandez broke in upon them, crying, 
"Look at these fellows who are going on with questions and answers and never coming to the 
point ! The king is my master ! \\"hat has Don Nuno to do with us, — he who has -been the 
cause of all our troubles ? Let us go where it is good for us to go, without asking leave of Mr 
Guzman or Mr. Anybody Else, only our master the king !" And then, with one voice, they all 
shouted, "Well spoken! Let us do as Dona Beatriz has declared!" So commissioners were 
appointed to choose a site, and decided upon a fair valley called Atamazac ; and eight days later 
all the townsfolk went out together in good order, and In that fair valley made they thence- 
forward their home. In which spirited fashion was the i:)resent city of Guadalajara founded, in 
the year of our Lord 1541. 

In this city is the celebrated "Assumption" of Murillo, which belongs to the cathedral and 



JALISCO 



275 



hangs in the sacristy. Its authenticity is not a matter of doubt. When Maximilian ruled the 
land with the assistance of a French army under Bazaine, the marshal, who knew a thing or 
two about art, made an offer to the cabildo of forty thousand dollars, which was rejected. 

Murillo in this picture represents the Virgin borne through the blackness of space by the 
archangel Michael in a cloud of exquisite light, with whi.ch mingle floods of glorj' from the 
heavens which Infinite Love has opened for Perfect Purity and Maternal Love. The joyous 
cherubs lie at her feet below the crescent moon. In the left-hand corner are cherubs winyine 
their way to glory through the blackness of infinite space. On the extreme left of the group 
of thrice-blessed cherubs at the feet of the Virgin, and in full splendor of her cloud, is a 
beautiful little creature who is waving his hand at the star that had guided him, and seems 
to be saying, " Good-by, dear star!" But all these exquisite details, so full of tenderness and 
adoring love, are subject to and dominated by the chiaroscuro, whose graduation has never been 
equalled. 

The foundation of this cathedral was laid in 1548. The present building was commenced 
in 1561, and the corner-stone was laid in 1571, by Bishop Ayola. The building was completed 
in 1 61 8. Its towers were thrown down by the earthquake of 181 8, and the clock between the 
towers was badly injured. The interior is rich 
in decorations and paintings. The two towers 
of this cathedral are wholly unlike any others in 
Mexico. In one of them is the " campanilla del 
correo," the little bell of the courier, which rang 
only in announcement of some important event. 
Another bell, called San Clemente, was in former 
times rung during a thunder-storm to ward off 
lightning. An important adjunct to the cathedral 
is the Sagrario, a comparatively new structure, 
commenced in 1808 and completed in 1843. 
The other churches are the San Francisco, San 
Augustin, San Felipe, La Campania, Guadalupe, 
Mexicalcingo, Jesus Maria, Capuchinas, Santa 
Teresa, Santa Maria, San Jose de Analco, San 
Sebastian de Analco, La Parroquia de Jesus, 
San Juan de Dios, Aranzazu, La Soledad, San 
Diego, Belen, La Concepcion, La Trinidad, and 
La Parroquia del Pilar, with others in course of 
construction. 

One of the most famous of the institutions 
of Guadalajara is tlie Hospicio. It is one of the 
most noted in the world. The buildine is an 
imposing one of white stone, handsome and 
attractive, covering an entire square, and con- 
taining twenty-five patios or courts, with foun- 
tains, flowers, shrubs, palms, and trees, from which echo the melodious re\'erberating songs of 
children and birds, which seem to touch the hearts of all who visit it. and to embody almost 
a life in itself. It is, in iact, not a hospital, as is popularly supposed, but a home for the 
poor of all ages, from the baby in the cradle to the aged nearing the grave. The institution is 




A MONUME.NT TO Pll'S IX., IaLISCO. 



276 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



admirably managed, under authority of the state of Jahsco. Children are taught all that may 
be learned in schools of the highest order, and as they grow older they learn some useful occu- 
pation in the higher arts and sciences. The product of their labor is offered for sale in support 
of the Hospicio, and includes some of the most exquisite embroideries and laces, made by the 
girls. Music, painting, drawing, and calisthenics constitute a part of the tuition, while the more 
practical matters of life receive serious attention. 

The public squares and jardincs in Guadalajara are .pretty and well kept. Twice a week 
and on Sundays an excellent band discourses sweet music in the plaza, attracting a large crowd 
of people. There the best society and the prettiest young ladies are seen. By common con- 
sent the sexes and classes separate on the promenade. The inner or wider promenade is 




The Cathedral, Guadalajara. 

reserved for the better class. On both sides are benches and chairs. The gentlemen keep in 
line on one side and in one direction, while the ladies do the same, but in an opposite direction, 
the two streams passing each other constantly. It would be considered mmivais ton to go 
against these riiles. Thus, no matter how great the throng, perfect harmony exists among the 
promenaders. The lower class, clean and well-behaved, walk on the outside, never mixing with 
their social superiors. 

There is no doubt that Guadalajara deserves her name as the queen city of the west, and 
any one who knows her cannot but appreciate her picturesque Mexican name, La Perla del 
Occidente. 

No other city approaches it, unless it be Puebla ; but the real beauty of Puebla is outside, 
while Guadalajara has many charms within her gates. The centre of its charms is its plaza, a 



JALISCO 



77 



beautiful garden surrounded by magnificent buildings. On one side is the government palace, 
on another the cathedral, and on the other two sides are long rows of portales, with their grace- 
ful arches. One can never forget the first evening on the plaza in Guadalajara. Guadalajara is 
one of the brightest of Mexican cities. Its cathedral is approached only by that of the capital. 
The government building- has a modern air that is pleasing ; its stucco is colored a light gray, 
and its white trimmings are decidedly agreeable to the eye. 

One is reminded here of the Royal Exchange in London by seeing on a government 
building an inscription of a Bible passage. Here the passage is " Nisi Dominus custodierit 
civitatem, frustra vigilat qui 
custodit eam" ("Except the 
Lord keep the city, the watch- 
man waketh but in vain"). In 
one of the principal squares is 
the monument commemorative 
of General Ramon Corona, a 
brave soldier, whose memory 
is loved by all true Mexicans, 
and who was assassinated by a 
lunatic in 1880. 

In its loyalty to the Church 
Guadalajara is second to no 
other city in Mexico, and 
makes good its claim by works 
of charity and mercy. 

Days may be spent pleas- 
antly in this beautiful city, and 
other days in exploring the 
grand surroundings. A visit to 
the famous barranca should not 

be omitted. The Santiago River has here cut its way from the plateau to the lower level, and 
has made an enormous canon, the perpendicular sides of which are two thousand feet high. At 
the top of the chasm you are in a temperate climate, at the bottom you 'get a taste of torrid tem- 
perature. Nowhere else in Mexico, and probably nowhere else in the world, can so satisfactory 
an excursion be made so easily ; two hours' ride from the city brings one to the barranca, but the 
visitor should devote the whole day to the excursion to this region of the banana and the palm. 

The scenery is grandly magnificent and wholly indescribable, so wildly picturesque. Here 
you are in the midst of castellated rocks, frowning precipices, and unfathomable abysses. 
Passing first the scraggy mountain-oaks, till, in the lower road, the path is through a forest of 
thumb-bananas, and shaded by their broad leaves, one finds at the bottom of the barranca the 
Rio de Santiago, while on either side the towering mountains lift up in perpendicular cliffs the 
grandest picture of sublime magnificence. 

The big barranca of the Rio Grande de Santiago, from its point of departure from Lake 
Chapala at Ocotlan, is the narrowest valley in the world. It is probably exactly like a Norwe- 
gian fiord, from the cosmographical point of view, but while it is full of Indian villages, fruit- 
trees, and slopes terraced for maize, and laughter and merry voices bubble up along its course, 
the fiords are solemn and silent and awe-inspiring. 




Avenue leading to the Hospicio, Guadalajara. 



278 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

A trip to San Pedro is delightful. The ride is along the ancient calzada, under great trees 
kissed by the sun for a hundred years, and more paved streets, handsome residences, fine stores, 
beautiful gardens, and happy faces will greet you at San Pedro. This is the favorite suburb 
of Guadalajara. Here the wealthy people have out-of-town homes. Here also the famous 
Guadalajara pottery-ware is made. 

The celebrated Guadalajara ware is known the world over. It is sold at greatly reduced 
prices from those asked in the curiosity stores in the city, where there is no certainty of genuine- 
ness. A warm welcome is extended to the visitor at the low adobe by Juan Panduro, the Indian 
sculptor, who shows and sells samples of his exquisite handiwork, made by himself and son. 
If one desires a bust or statuette of himself, or a life-like likeness, it may be modelled while 
he waits and afterward baked and sent to his hotel, or the artist will call at the hotel and do 
the modelling at one's room. This young Mexican made himself famous at the Atlanta Expo- 
sition by his wonderful work. In the much frequented " Mexican village" he was the centre 
of attraction, and specimens of his remarkable craft were carried by admiring visitors to 
every part of the United States. The work of these artists is all the more interesting and 
remarkable because they not only never received any art education themselves, but have 
never even seen the work of other artists except as it may be found in Guadalajara. Their 
material is the native clay, made and fashioned with their fingers and a small pointed stick ; and 
so perfect is their work that not only are the features carefully reproduced, but every line and 
wrinkle and even the smallest buttons or bit of lace-work are finished with the minutest detail. 

The city of Atemajac is situated to the north of the city of Guadalajara, and is reached by 
street-cars, which leave the cathedral every forty minutes. On the road to this village you pass 
the hamlet of Mezquitan, where the Tastoanes meet annually to commemorate the anniversary 
of the assassination of Saint James. This spectacle is ludicrous in the extreme, as the Indians 
dress themselves in primitive and barbaric costumes and go through the mock tragedy as they 
suppose it was enacted. On the way you pass also the famous baths, which have the rare 
property of being cool in summer and hot in winter. The trip is a very enjoyable one, as the 
cars pass through a lovely tract of country. 

Up toward the northeast, on the Mexican Central's main line, is the town of Lagos, which 
has a population of forty thousand, and an elevation of six thousand one hundred and thirty- 
four feet. This is a fine manufacturing city, at the edge of one of the most fertile agricultural 
districts of the republic. There are numerous stories about the people of Lagos, which, if 
true, show them to be somewhat like Falstaff, not only witty in themselves, "but the cause 
that wit is in other men." They say that the council of twelve was to hold a meeting in the 
hall where was a bench on which all should sit. Six came, and each put his hat beside him on 
the bench. When the other six came there was no room for them. It was decided to stretch the 
bench. Each man put his hat on his head, and the twelve men pulled on the bench, six at each 
end. Then they all sat down, for the bench was now long enough for them all. Here is another : 
The parish priest lay ill in his bed of a grievous sickness ; desiring to know the time of day, he 
sent his servant up to the azotea (roof) to find out the hour from the sun dial which was there. 
The domestic, after studying the matter carefully, came to the conclusion that he knew nothing 
about this contrivance, so he placed the dial on his shoulders and brought it to the priest, saying, 
" Here is the watch, that your worship may see the hour, because I don't understand it." 

From Irapuato, in Guanajuato, a branch of the Mexican Central Railway extends to 
Guadalajara, one hundred and sixty-one miles west, running through a rich agricultural and 
fruit-growing country producing large crops of wheat, corn, and sugar, and the finest oranges 



JALISCO 



'■79 



grown in the republic. Passing through Penjamo, a quaint old place of some eight thousand 
people, and La Piedad, with about the same population, the next station of importance is La 
Barca, a city of twelve thousand people, situated on the Lerma, or Santiago, River, near where 
it empties into Lake Chapala. Fifty miles west of La Barca and fifteen miles east of Guadala- 
jara, at the station of El Castillo, a tramway conveys passengers to the famous falls of Juana- 
catlan, justly termed the " Niagara of Mexico." The river at this point plunges over a precipice 
sixty-five feet in height to the rocks below, making a picture of grandeur and interest well 
worth seeing. 

Sixteen miles beyond La Barca lies Ocotlan. This pretty place is on the river Sula, a 
short distance above its junction with the Lerma. The station is connected with the town by 
street-cars, which run to the bridge just above the steamboat landing. Ocotlan is situated on 




School of Jurisprudence, Guadalajara. 

a plain, which slopes southward a few miles into the shore of the lake. \\' ith its pretty plaza, 
its beautiful church spire, its portales, and its two bridges, Ocodan is very picturesque. 

At Poncitlan, eleven miles from Ocotlan, are a beautiful bridge and some charming scenery. 
This is the best wheat country of Jalisco. 

Atequiza, thirteen miles farther west, is a good station for any one to stop at who wishes 
to visit a great hacienda comfortably and without a ride through the country. The station, as 
is common along the whole line, takes its name from the great hacienda nearest. Atequiza is 
in sight, half a mile away on the left. This hacienda has miles of wheat-fields, hundreds of 
oxen and other animals, and thousands of men at work on its farms or ranches. Here are the 
head-quarters of the vast estate, — storehouses, corrals, workmen's homes, mills, hospitals, school- 



2So 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



houses, and a church, besides the princely residence of the owner. As for the interior of these 
haciendas, they are much ahke, — a great stone building, which is neither farm- nor country- 
house, but has a character peculiar to itself, solid enough to stand a siege, with floors of painted 
brick, large deal tables, wooden benches, painted chairs, and whitewashed walls ; one or two 
painted or iron bedsteads, put up only when wanted ; kitchen and outhouses ; the court-yard, a 
great square, around which stand the house for boiling sugar, whose furnaces blaze day and 
night, the house with machinery for extracting the juice from the cane, the refining-rooms, the 
places where it is dried, etc., all on a large scale. If the hacienda is a coffee plantation also, 
then there is the great mill for separating the beans from the chaff; and sometimes there are 
buildings where they make brandy. There are four or five hundred men employed, exclusive 




Falls of Juanacatlan. 

of boys, and a hundred horses and mules. The property is very extensive, containing fields 
of sugar-cane, plains for cattle, and the pretty plantations of coffee, so green and spring-like, the 
latter containing, say, fifty thousand young plants, all fresh and vigorous. Besides there is a 
great deal of uncultivated ground, abandoned to the deer and hares and quail, of which there 
is great abundance. This hacienda or plantation is thought to be the place called " Miraflores" 
in Christian Reid's beautiful story "A Cast for Fortune." 

The completion of the Mexican Central's branch from Guadalajara to Ameca has opened up 
a rich agricultural and mineral region to the outside world. Between La Venta and Orendain 
the road runs through a succession of hills, where some heavy work was done. At Metaconejo 
the Rio Salado is crossed on an iron bridge ; on the right may be seen some fine sugar- 
cane. The next stop is Orendain, distant eight leagues from Tequila, a town of about six 



JALISCO 2S1 

thousand inhabitants, and the centre of the great Tequila industry. The famous hacienda of 
El Refugio belongs to Orendain Hermanos, of Guadalajara. The \illage of Tala, with its three 
thousand inhabitants, is about two miles south of this station. La X'erga is the last station 
before reaching Ameca, and, no doubt, will be the most important one on the line. 

From La Vega to Ameca the line runs through a beautiful \alley lying between two ranges 
of mountains. Ameca, the terminus of the road, is an interesting place of some eight thou- 
sand people. The Ameca River, a wide and deep stream of water, flows through the town. 
A solidly constructed bridge of stone unites the two banks of the river. The principal industries 
of the districts are apiculture and mining. 

That the arrival of the railroad has aroused Ameca from a Rip \^an Winkle sleep there is 
no doubt. All the large and fertile valleys in every direction produce enormous quantities of 
corn, that can now be transported to market rapidly and cheaply. Coffee-growing has never 
been attempted to any extent, but with the coming of the iron horse attracting new capital, 
energy, and brains, it is only a question of time when the region is developed, thus adding to 
the wealth of the great state of Jalisco. 

Etzatlan is a charming little town upon the shores of the Laguna de Magdalena, which lies 
in the hoUows at the foot of the high mountain called the Cerro de Tequila. It is quite large, 
and is navigable. It is, in fact, navigated, for a small steamboat plies from Etzatlan on the south 
of the lake to Magdalena on the north. There are several fine beaches, and General Curiel, 
the governor, intends to make this a summer resort for the people of Guadalajara during the 
heated term, March, April, and May. The air is cooled by the evaporation of so great a body 
of deep water, and Etzatlan will be a sort of tourist's paradise, for it is within easy reach of the 
best meat and poultry in the republic, and the boats will bring tropical fruits from Magdalena, 
which is only six miles from Tequila, with an excellent wagon-road. 

The Cerro de Tequila is bold and rugged, and a most picturesque feature of the landscape, 
and there is another huge mountain to the south. The ground is open toward the west in the 
direction of San Marcos, but otherwise Etzatlan is surrounded by high mountains. It is bowered 
amid semi-tropical vegetation, and is constantly cool, affording a most pleasing contrast to the 
city of Guadalajara during the hot months. 

The Guadalajara branch of the Mexican Central has not only brought railway communi- 
cation to one of the great cities of the republic, but has also made easily accessible an extensive 
and productive agricultural region. It is in this part of the country that the oranges are pro- 
duced which have lately begun to be shipped to the United States. At present, however, it is 
not the cultivation of the orange, but that of coffee, that is attracdng special attention. The 
possibilities of the western slope with reference to this product are but imperfectly determined, 
while on the eastern slope much progress has already been made. 

Capitalists who seek a sure and productive investment for their money should take into 
account not only the richness of the soil, the mildness of the climate, and the thousand attrac- 
tions offered by life in that zone, but also and principally the assured importance of Guadalajara 
as a railway centre of the first rank, with facilities for transportation at least equal, if not supe- 
rior, to those of the city of Mexico, being able to send its varied products rapidl)' at low rates 
of freight not only to the principal markets of the republic, but also to those abroad, for which 
it will have seven or eight points of outlet. 

One of those products which will seek speedy exportation will be the mineral wealth of 
Jalisco, which exists in great quantides, and which possesses a richness of which we assuredly 
have had but a hint as yet. 



282 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



The mining districts at the present time are Mascota, Talpa, Hostotipaquillo, Tapalpa, 
Comanja, and Bolanos, with a total of more than two hundred and fifty mines, the greater 
number being of silver with some traces of gold, three or four of gold, some of copper, and 
others of quicksilver, iron, lead, and other metals. 

The city of Guadalajara has had for many years a mint in constant activity, coining silver 
and gold from the mines of Jalisco, among which those that have sent the greatest amount have 
been the mines in the districts of Talpa and Mascota. 

hi spite of this, it may be asserted that mining in Jalisco is in its infancy, and aw^aits only 
the energetic and decisive action of companies with sufficient capital to astonish the continent 
with the fabulous riches of its veins, many of them as yet untouched. 

And so it will be seen that, with all the modern progress and enterprise of Guadalajara, the 
resources of the great and important state of Jalisco are yet to be developed, and that neither 




Theatre Degollado, Guadalajara. 



the world at large nor the inhabitants of Jalisco themselves dream of the wealth that hes locked 
in her natural resources. 

It is impossible to over-praise the climate of Jalisco. With its constant sunshine, its skies 
even bluer than those of far-famed Italy, and its mellow, genial warmth, Guadalajara is one of 
the most beautiful garden-spots of the world. 

The intellectual condition of Jalisco is up to the standard of modern times, and lifts the 
people into a state of intelligence rather above the ordinary. The schools are of the best, the 
state and the cities spending large sums of money on them, so that the primaries are being 



JALISCO 



2S3 



extended even to the distant ranches, while the secondary and professional schools rank among 
the best in Mexico. Jalisco's lawyers have attained the highest reputation, her doctors conf- 
mand the respect of all, her engineers have attained national fame, and her " Seminario de 
los Obispos" (Seminary of the Bishops) is known everywhere as having graduated some of the 
most notable of the Mexican cleroy. 

The governor of Jalisco is General Luis C. Curiel, a young and energetic statesman, of 
whose abilities his people are justified in expecting much. Governor Curiel, after serving his 
country in the cause of Mexican freedom, had the advantage of several years in Paris in an 
official capacity, where he became familiar with the most progressive ideas of good government, 
the benefit of which is being felt by the people of Jalisco to-day. This noble statesman is one 
of the "coming men" of Mexico, and undoubtedly will be heard from in the future as prominent 
in the making of Mexican history. 



!84 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XXXII 



COLIMA 



COLIMA, just south of Jalisco, is one of the smallest states in Mexico, only Morelos 
having a smaller area. Colima contains two thousand three hundred and ninety- 
three square miles, and has a coast-line of one hundred miles. The surface is 
o-enerally level, although there are a few mountains rising to a height of one 
thousand feet. The volcano of Colima, as has been stated, is over the line in 
Jalisco. It was inactive from 1S30 till 1869, and was supposed to be extinct; but on July 12 

of the latter year it began to smoke, and a 
few weeks later it poured forth intensely hot 
pumice-stone enough to cover hundreds of 
acres at its base, keeping up the eruption for 
several years. 

The climate of Colima is very hot, and 
the soil is exceedingly fertile, producing large 
yields of coffee, tobacco, vanilla, indigo, cacao, 
and various fruits. 

Colima was founded in 1522 by Gonzalo 
de Sandoval. It was incorporated, under the 
name of Santiago de los Caballeros, by Philip 
II., and was finally made a city in 1824. It is 
the capital city, and has a population of some 
twenty-five thousand. It is situated in a fertile 
plain. Although the inhabitants of the state 
are largely Indians, those of Colima are intelli- 
gent whites, and the streets are handsomely 
laid out, with many fine residences. There are 
a government house, a college, and several 
good schools, besides a number of churches. 

The city of Colima is a very gay and 
lively place, with plenty of blossoming flowers 
and luxuriant foliage and many beautiful plazas, 
the principal of which is the Plaza de Armas, 
with an elegant iron kiosk in the centre. The 
government palace is large and beautifully decorated with a magnificent public clock with a 
luminous dial in the front facade. There are many other beautiful buildings of a public char- 
acter in Colima, as well as many imposing private residences of good architectural features. 




SeSor Coronel Don Francisco Santacruz, 

Governor uf Colima. 




Hacienda of San Antonio, near the City of Colima. 




Laki; Jai;ali, Hacienda of San Aniom 



286 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 




The city of Colima and its surrounding 
district are connected by railway with the mag- 
nificent port of Manzanillo, one of the most 
important ports on the Pacific coast. This 
gives Colima commercial advantages with the' 
United States and with Europe, although its 
citizens are shut off by the Sierra Madre from 
direct communication with the interior of their 
own republic. The Mexican National Com- 
pany has a concession for carrying this line on 
from Colima to Guadalajara, and, although there 
are many difficulties to be overcome, this will 
probably be done some time in the future, 
thus not only opening up a wonderful mountain 
country, but connecting the fertile little state 
of Colima with the centre of Mexico's modern 
progress. At the present writing, however, 
the difficulties look to an ordinary observer 
almost insurmountable. Never shall I forget 
the fatiguing journey of two or three hun- 
dred miles on horseback, zigzagging between 



Indians from the Village of Suchiblan, in Working 
Clothes. 



tremendous barrancas of unfathomable depth, 
ascending and descending hills almost perpen- 
dicular, which we took under the hot summer 
sun across the Sierra Madre from Guadalajara 
to Colima in June. It was one of many won- 
derful experiences in a wonderful country never 
to be forgotten, a journey we could never have 
either undertaken or accomplished but for the 
generous assistance and kind courtesy of Presi- 
dent Diaz, who furnished us letters to the gov- 
ernors of all the states through which we passed. 
The journey was accomplished on horseback 
in less than a week, during which we were 
accompanied by two trusted Indian guides and 
our body-servant. The magnificent scenery of 
the mountain district in Jalisco and Colima is not 
to be easily described. It Is wild with all the 
fragrance and luxuriance of a tropical country, 
and picturesque with the beauty of peaks and 
canons of a noble mountain-ranee. 







Indian Women from the Pueblas near Colima. 



COLIMA 



287 




The Governor's House in Colima. 



It was in Colima that we 

saw the process of making tiua, 

a most delicious and refreshing 

drink. It is made from the sap 

of the cocoanut palm, which is 

drawn from the very top of the 

tree. Seiior Francisco Santa- 

cruz, the governors son, kindly 

escorted us through the gardens 

adjacent to the palace and 

showed us the process. An 

Indian servant came to the 

bottom of the tree and devoutly 

crossed himself ; then he ran 

up the tree with the agilit)' of a 

monkey, seating himself at the 

topmost part, where the leaves 

branched out after the manner 

of the cocoanut palm. With a 

sharp knife he made a deep 

incision in the top of the tree, and then fastened a bowl made of the nati\'e gourd so as to 

catch the sap. Afterward this sap was brought down and fermented, making a delicious light 

wine of peculiarly delicate flavor. 

Some of the barrancas of the country are terribly precipitous, and almost as pic- 
turesque as the barrancas of Jalisco. In colonial times the Spaniards hewed the mountain- 
roads out of solid rock, and the feet of men and mules passing over them for so many 

years have made them as 
smooth as glass, — which will 
give some idea of the great 
risk in travel. 

The lake of Cuyutlan, 
along the border of the state, 
is the next to the largest lake 
in the country, and is navigable 
for its entire length. 

The schools of Colima are 
models of their kind, the state 
expending annually many thou- 
sands of dollars for their sup- 
port. The people of Colima, 
in consequence, are an intel- 
ligent, educated, and thriving 
class. 

There are but three politi- 
cal districts in Colima, — Central, 
Street Scene, Colima. Ah'arez, and Medellin. There , 




288 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

are seven municipalities, — Colima, Villa Alvarez, Comala, Coquimatlan, Tecoman, Iztlahuacan, 
and Manzanillo. 

Both the hot lands and the temperate regions are wonderfully fertile and rich in products 
of every species. Colima coffee is famous everywhere for its excellence, and is raised here in 




Plaza de la Libertad, in front of the Governor's Palace in Colima. 



great abundance. Owing to the climate, tropical fruits grow in astonishing luxuriance, and, as 
there are no mines in Colima, the people devote themselves to the pursuit of agriculture with 
remarkable results. 

Manufacturing is not neglected in Colima. There are three important cotton-factories in 
the state, known as San Cayetano, La Armonia, and La Atrevida. There are two larger mills, 
also, for making sugar and brandy from cane, besides numerous manual industries on a smaller 
scale. 

. The governor of Colima is Coronel Francisco Santacruz, who is a progressive, well-educated 
man, and under whose fostering care the state is making a fine record for itself He is par- 
ticularly interested in the cause of public education, realizing that no true progress can be 
accomplished in any country except upon a foundation of thoroughly good common schools. 
I made a thorough personal inspection of the public schools of Colima, and found them con- 
ducted according to the most approved modern methods now in use in European and American 
cities. Thus it will be seen that while Colima is a small state it is neither poor nor unimportant. 



TEPIC 



289 



CHAPTER XXXIII 



TEPIC 



^^BBfc^HE territory of Tepic was to us a surprise and a wonder. W'e were the guests of 
m 1 Mr. Ernest Lonergan, who met us with carriages and took us through the capital 

^ \ > and entertained us handsomely at his lovely home. We were shown over the 
^^■^ sugar-refineries at Puga and the immense plantation of the Barron's, and took 
horses from Tepic to San Bias, from which place we went on one of the Pacific Mail 
Steamship liners to Mazatlan. At Tepic we had the pleasure of meeting General Romano, the 
governor of the territory. We had heard so much about this energetic man, who had crushed 
out brigands in that part of the country, that 
we expected to meet quite a piratical person- 
age, but were most agreeably surprised when 
we met a charming gentleman with delicate 
manners and exceedingly courteous. 

The territory of Tepic originally be- 
longed to the state of Jalisco, but President 
Lerdo de Tejada, on account of the power 
which the famous one-eyed Indian chief 
Lozada had acquired, declared it a free terri- 
tory. When Lozada attacked Guadalajara 
with his hordes of Indians he was met by Gen- 
eral Corona with only twelve hundred men 
and repulsed. General Corona was assassi- 
nated on the lothof November, 1880. This 
general, an intimate friend of Benito Juarez, 
had rendered great service to his country 
during the war of intervention of the French. 
The territory of Tepic contains about 
one hundred and eighty thousand inhabitants, 
the principal towns being Tepic, with ten 
thousand ; Santiago, six thousand ; Ixtlan, five 
thousand ; San Bias, two thousand ; Ahua- 
catlan, two thousand ; and Acaponeta, three 
thousand. Immediately around Tepic, how- 
ever, there are factories containing as many 

inhabitants as some of these towns. Among these are the Hacienda de Puga sugar-factory and 
the Escondida. Near Tepic there are large cotton-factories, " Fabrica de Jauja." The pro- 
prietors of these factories, Messrs. Barron and Forbes, own large estates near the town of 

19 




General Leotoldo Romano, 
GoVEKNOK OF Tepic. 



290 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Santiago, where they raise nearly all the cotton worked up in their factories, supplying any 
shortness in their crops from Acapulco, in the state of Guerrero. Both these factories run 
about six thousand spindles and one hundred and eighty looms, turning out excellent cotton 
goods, which are sold in the Tepic territory and in Jalisco, Sinaloa, and Sonora. Messrs. 
Barron & Forbes Company's " Fabrica de Jauja" has extensive bleaching-works on the most 
improved plan, turning out white cotton cloths which compete favorably with the products of 
Manchester manufactories. These cloths are sold all over the republic of Mexico. 

Besides his sugar estate of Puga, Mr. Francis Barron owns the hacienda of Mora, where 
sugar-cane is also cultivated, the product being worked up by an open jamaica-train into brown 

sugar, called panoclia, which is largely con- 
sumed by the natives. The Hacienda de la 
Laguera, at the door of Tepic, also deserves 
mention. At one time this was a lake sur- 
rounded by mountains, and evidently formed 
an enormous crater of a volcano, but in 1866 a 
tunnel was driven through the hill at one end 
and a deep ditch cut in the pasture-land that, 
although only four thousand five hundred acres 
in extent, has at least three thousand head of 
cattle feeding on it the year round. 

The country round about Tepic is remark- 
able for its excellent pasture-land and fertile soil. 
Both Puga and Escondida have large dis- 
tilleries attached to their sugar-factories, where 
the I'efuse is worked up into a species of rum 
(aguardiente). Mr. Barron's estate embraces 
about one hundred thousand acres, and extends 
from the city of Tepic to the other side of 
Santiago. 

Tetitlan, another large estate on the same 
road, deserves mention on account of its fertile 
lands and abundant water, at the foot of the 
extinct volcano called Sevoruco. 

Below Tetitlan are the lands of General 
Leopoldo Romano, governor of the territory ; 
these extend to San Bias and Santiago. Here is found a splendid breed of cattle, the general 
having spared no trouble or expense in raising them on his pastures. An extensive coffee- 
plantation has been laid down also by the general. Large quantities of salt are produced from 
his lands adjoining San Bias. 

Santiao-o is a town situated on the river which bears its name, the largest river in the 
republic. A tract of land was ceded for the building of the town, and cotton, corn, beans, and 
tobacco are extensively cultivated. India-rubber trees grow readily here. Corn yields three 
times as well as on the higher land. 

To the south of San Bias an extensive and fertile estate is being opened up by a German 
firm. These lands have been planted with coffee, teas, tobacco, etc., and are yielding most 
satisfactory returns. 




Cathedral, Tepic. 




Cascade which forms the Tepic River, Tepic. 



292 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



With the exception of sugar-cane cultivation, agriculture in Tepic is carried on by a species 
of partnership between the owner of the soil and the laborer. The owner opens an account cur- 
rent with the laborer, giving him land, oxen, plough, and seed, the laborer putting in his labor. 
Any advance in cash, justified by the size and condition of the crop, that may be required by the 
laborer is allowed by the owner, who receives back the equivalent from the share of the laborer. 
Generally a stipulated price is named at which the owner purchases the laborer's share, which 
usually yields a large profit to the owner. This system has one advantage, that the crop is care- 
fully tended by the laborer, which is rather difficult where such extensive crops are grown. 




Plaza at Tepic. 



The Tepic territory is noticeable for the quantity of waterfalls it contains, of which as yet 
only a few are utilized. This abundance of water is of great importance to a country where 
pasturage is so expensive an item. 

The town of Tepic is situated about two thousand nine hundred and eighty feet above the 
level of the sea, and enjoys a most delicious climate from the month of November till the end 
of April, possibly the most delicious climate anywhere. The nights are cool, with slight frosts 
in December, January, and February. The days are warm and bright. Rain seldom falls 
except in June, July, August, and September, the rainfall averaging sixty-six inches in the year. 
During the hot months frequent heavy storms fall, mostly at night and scarcely ever before the 
afternoon, the mornings being delightful. The drives around Tepic are most picturesque. The 
town boasts a very pretty plaza, where fruit and flowers are sold. This square presents an 
animated aspect on Sundays, when the country-people bring in their produce from miles around. 
The alameda, or park, as well as other smaller squares, is beautifully laid out. 



TEPIC ,^3 

The government buildings are handsome, and in d.e Plaza Principal a fine stone municipal 

hu Tel" 'TT" "T""; '"'' "'"'^""^^ '"^' shopkeepers are enterprising and thriving, 
bu feel sadly the want of railway communication with the interior, which would open up the 
fertile district capable of being the granary of the interior of Mexico 

Even now, with their limited means of transport, Tepic cultivators of the soil and manu- 
facturers hold their own and compete with more favored districts in the Jalisco and Sinaloa 
markets ; but they can send only produce which will bear the heavy freight charges, such as 
cotton goods, sugar, tobacco, coffee, and rice. 

A very important product is cocoa oil, which is raised in large quantities on the coast lands 
and sold in Jalisco, Sinaloa, and other neighborino- states 




Cotton- Factory "Jauja," Tepic. 



Ixtlan is a flourishing little town, with several small sugar-factories in its immediate neic^h- 
borhood : its principal source of revenue is minino-. '^ 

The territory of Tepic owes its prosperity in great part to its able and courteous o-overnor 
General Leopoldo Romano, who received his charge in a state of semi-revolution and completely 
overrun with brigands. ^ ^ 

Jauja is situated on the outskirts of the city of Tepic, and is noted for its extensive and 
beautiful gardens. Bella Vista is situated about three miles from Jauja. Between these two 
places the Tepic River forms a splendid cascade, about five thousand cubic feet per minute 
falling one hundred and ten feet. 

The factory of La Escondida is situated a mile below Bella Vista, and uses the Tepic River 
for irrigating its cornfields. This factory, if not the largest refinery in the republic, is equal 



294 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 




La Escondida Sugar-Factory, Tepic. 



in size to any other, and has 
unquestionably the best refining 
macliinery plant in this country. 
Tlie lands of Escondida are 
excessively broken, and great 
ingenuity has been shown in per- 
iecting them for corn cultivation. 
The Hacienda de Puga has 
a splendid water-power and 
moves therewith all its ma- 
chinery, such as sugar-mills, cen- 
trifug-al, etc., steam beinor used 
merely for boiling. This haci- 
enda, as well as the Escondida, 
turns out perfectly white cube 
sugar, which is sold in the imme- 
diate vicinity and in the neigh- 
boring states of Sinaloa and 
Jalisco. 

Large quantities of muscovado sugar are shipped annually to San Francisco from these 
refineries, being forwarded to San Bias in carts and mule-trains and thence by sailing-vessels 
to their destination. This sugar compares most favorably with that of the West Indies. 

Three stage-coaches leave Tepic daily for Ahuacatlan, Ixtlan, Guadalajara, Santiago, Aca- 
ponita, Rosario, Mazatlan, and San Bias. 

The Central Railway is extending its line from Guadalajara in the direction of Tepic, 
its line already having reached Ameca. It will open a world of riches in the interior, and 
also will connect the Pacific Ocean by way of San Bias or Mazatlan with the Gulf of Mexico. 

Unquestionably no state en- 
joys to-day more perfect secu- 
rity from brigandage than the 
territory of Tepic. In effecting 
this the governor has been ably 
seconded by the prefect of the 
territory, Senor Don Nicholas 
Perez. 

General Romano is a highly 
cultivated gentleman, besides 
being a well-known military man 
of Mexico. He took a promi- 
nent part in the war against the 
French, having been taken pris- 
oner and sent to France, where 
he refused to give his parole 
and escaped, returning to his 
beloved country after suffering 
hardships the recital of which The Village of Puga, Tepic. 





Cascade of El Ingenio, Tepic. 



296 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



would fill a volume. Besides being a valiant military man, he has proved himself an accom- 
plished diplomat in the \va)' in which he has pacified the territory of Tepic, which under the 




PuGA Dwelling, Vikw from P'aciuky. 



dictatorship of Lozada had been virtually severed from the Federal government. For the 
result I point to the flourishing state of the territory and the well-deserved affection and esteem 
the generarenjoys. 



SINALOA 



297 



CHAPTER XXXIV 



SINALOA 



^^^-«^^ ORTH of Tepic, stretched along the Pacific coast and broken up by the Sierra 
■ I ■ Madre, lies Sinaloa. The formation of the country would naturally, therefore, 
II W consist of mountains in the eastern part, and sloping, extensive plains toward the 
^1 *^ west coast. It has an area of twenty-five thousand nine hundred and twenty- 
seven square miles, and a population of something over two hundred thousand. 
Sinaloa is not perhaps so well developed as the eastern and central states of Mexico, but it, 
too, has enormous possibilities of wealth. The 
coast is indented by several bays which make 
good harbors, such as Mazatlan, Angeles, 
Altata, Tamazulla, etc. The chief rivers are 
the Canas and the Fuerte, which form the 
southern and northern boundaries, and the 
Sinaloa and the Culiacan. Some of the rivers 
overflow their banks at stated periods, thus 
enriching the surrounding country. There 
are several gold- and silver-mines, and the 
mountains contain in addition promising de- 
posits of copper, iron, platinum, lead, and 
sulphur. 

The soil is fertile, and offers great oppor- 
tunities to the rice- and coffee-planter, as well 
as to the sugar industry. Guavas, bananas, 
and other tropical fruits can also be raised to 
great advantage. 

Agriculture and mining are the principal 
industries of Sinaloa, although there are exten- 
sive manufactures of castor oil and mezcal, and 
a great deal of pearl- and tortoise-fishing on 
the west coast. 

The capital of Sinaloa is Culiacan, and the 
chief port is Mazatlan. The town of Sinaloa 
is on the right bank of the river of the same 

name, with a population of some ten thousand. It is in the midst of a gold-mining district, and 
was the old capital of Sinaloa. The town has good houses, schools, and churches. 

Culiacan is on the Culiacan River, with a population of not far from twelve thousand. It is 




General Francisco CaSeda, 

Governor of Sinaloa. 



298 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 




in the midst of a well-watered 
and productive country, with 



City of Mazatlan. 



rich gold- and silver-mines in 
the vicinity, which are being- 
worked with considerable suc- 
cess. The city has a fine public 
square with a handsome colon 
nade, and the streets are well 
laid out and reofular. Amone 
the principal buildings are a 
large cathedral decorated with 
valuable paintings, a mint which 
cost three hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars, and a very 
fine club-house. It occupies 
the site of the Aztec city of 
Colhuacan, famous in Mexican 
history. 

In Culiacan there are a 
large cotton-factory, a sugar- 
refinery, and several manufactories of lesser importance, and between Culiacan and Altata 
there is a large wine-establishment, connected with another sugar-refinery. 

Altata is the seaport of the city of Culiacan, and the outlet for a large agricultural and 
mining country. The entrance to the bay is over a bar, but, once inside, the harbor is safe and 
commodious. The interior produces large quantities of gold and silver and lead ore. The 
Novelata sugar-plantation is within twenty-five miles of this harbor. The export of ores 
and sugar, together with that of 
brazil-wood, forms the trade of 
this port. It is a port of entry 
of the sixth order. The climate 
is healthy, and similar to that 
of Mazatlan. 

The river Culiacan is about 
two hundred miles long, and 
empties into the Gulf of Cali- 
fornia at Altata. 

Mazatlan, however, is by 
far the most important town 
of Sinaloa. It lies beautifully 
situated at the head of a bay 
at the entrance to the Gulf 
of California. Its population 
ranges from ten thousand to 
twenty thousand, but it is im- 
possible to give it accurately, 
because much of it is a floating mazatlan, showing the Harbor. 





Theatre in Culiacan. 




Calle de Rosales, Culiacan. 



300 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



population. In summer merchant-traders resort here from Chihuahua, Sonora, JaHsco, Colima, 
Durano-o, and other states, to look after heavy business interests. The upper town stands in 
front of rocky hills, and is somewhat uneven, but the section facing the bay has handsome 
streets, with fine residences, mostly in the Castilian style of architecture, with some of the more 
modern types intermingling. There are several public squares, but the chief public buildings 
stand surrounded by orange-trees in the Plaza de Armas. The custom-house, the residences 
of the commandant and the captain of the port, and the public stores are all tasteful buildings 
in another square nearer the beach. The vegetation is tropical and abundant, the annual tem- 
perature varying from seventy to ninety degrees. 

Silver-mines are worked all around Mazatlan, the largest being owned by Americans and 
valued at several millions. The chief exports are gold and silver, dye-woods, and fine pearls, 
amounting to two or three million dollars in some years. There are several good public and 




Tlaza, Mazatlan. 



more private schools, and in many ways Mazatlan offers splendid opportunities for the capitalist 
or the colonist, provided the tropical heat of the country be taken into account. Its natural 
advantages will always make it an important shipping port and the gateway to the Gulf of 
California. 

Mazatlan impressed us with its beautiful approach from the ocean, the flanking moun- 
tains and the blue Pacific waters made such a remarkable and beautiful contrast with the 
shore, all abloom with tropical palms and ferns. The scenery is very fine. We found good 
hotels and schools. There was some talk, when we were there, of the removal of the capital 
of the state of Sinaloa from Culiacan to Mazatlan, but it will probably remain where it is. The 
steamer took us to Altata, and thence we went to Culiacan by railroad. At Culiacan we visited 
several other schools and factories, and had occasion to note once more the growing attention 
paid by the state governments throughout Mexico to the system of public schools. It is a system 
scarcely excelled anywhere in general excellence. 



SINALOA 301 

Throughout the state there are pretty villages with comfortable-looking houses and patios 
that are models of neatness and beauty. In Eastern Sinaloa are some beautiful pine districts 
that approach in beauty and value those among the mountains of Pennsylvania, united to the 
semi-tropical vegetation of Florida. It is a section of countrj^ not yet much developed, but 
contams a wealth of lumber which will make several fortunes in the course of time. There are 
some splendid specimens of pines in the region, which can be readily marketed in that part 
of Mexico. On the border between Sinaloa and Tepic there is a section of forest yielding some 
of the best yellow pine in the country. The district is supplied with an abundance of mountain 
streams, and has already been bought up by a syndicate of Eastern and Southern men, who are 
developing the entire region. 

The governor of Sinaloa is General Francisco Canedo, a brave soldier and a man whose 
one thought is his country and whose one aim is to conduct his state to an elevated plane of 
prosperity and intelligent progress. Under his guidance Sinaloa is fast coming to be one 
of the most important as it is one of the largest states in the republic. The unusual pro- 
ductiveness of the mines now in operation and the vast extent of mining-lands yet unexplored 
offer great inducements to prospectors. 




302 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XXXV 

SONORA 

9^1''^^ ORTH of Sinaloa lies the state of Sonera, between the state of Chihuahua and the 
^^^ p Gulf of California. Sonora has an area of eighty-one thousand and twenty-two 
II W square miles. All the eastern portion is extremely mountainous, and, as in 
■M I -^* Sinaloa, there are extensive western plains. 

Sonora is noted for the longevity of its people. At the time of the discovery 
of America it was inhabited by the most vigorous and robust of all the Indians. The old 
Spanish explorers commented on the healthfulness of its climate, and in modern times there are 
few countries in the world where the death-rate is lower and the average age of the people is 
greater. These conditions extend even to the vegetable kingdom : diseases that trouble the 
fruit-erowers so much in California and the north seem to lose their virulence under the bright 
sun and balmy sky of Sonora ; and various orange scales, to which the Agricultural Department 
of the United States has devoted so much time and money in the vain effort to eradicate them, 
are unknown. There seems to be something in that dry but soft climate that conduces to 
universal health. The cattle industry is one of the most important in Sonora, and. offers great 
opportunities to the farmer or other individuals who will go into stock-raising. 

The Yaqui River is the largest stream in Northern Mexico, being four hundred and fifty 
miles long. It rises away up in the summits of the Sierra Madre, and its head-waters extend 
even into Arizona. The other principal rivers are the Mayo and the San Jose. All three 
empty into the Gulf of California, as, in fact, do all the waters of Sonora. 

The water of the Yaqui has most wonderful fertilizing qualities. It is of about the color 
and consistency of chocolate. The material in suspension is so fine that it takes a long time 
to settle, and let the water stand as long as you will it never gets entirely clear. This silt 
or coloring matter thus carried in suspension is the richest kind of fertilizer. It is this that 
makes the valley of the Nile of an inexhaustible fertility ; it is this that has enabled the Pima 
Indians to raise wheat in the valley of the Gila, in Arizona, for more than three hundred years 
on the same land without exhausting the soil and without supplying to it any other plant 
food than the water used for irrigation ; and it is this that has made the Yaqui valley so rich 
and fertile. 

There is no better land in the world. For fruits no lands can be better. Sonora already, 
notwithstanding the deficiency of its rainfall and the backwardness of its development, sends to 
Kansas City and Chicago the best oranges that are found in their markets, and all its fruits are 
. celebrated wherever they are known. The banana, the cocoanut, the pineapple, and nearly all 
other tropical fruits reach a perfection here that they never have attained upon the Mediterra- 
nean, and the figs of Sonora are superior to those of Smyrna. 

Sonora is, generally speaking, a mountainous state, but it is not by any means all mountain. 
The Yaqui and Mayo valleys bear a larger proportion to the whole state than does the Hudson 



SONORA 



303 



River valley to the Adirondack region of New York. All through, the percentage of moun- 
tains in Sonora is about double, and that of level land about half what it is in New York State. 

There is a difference, however, between our mountains and those of Sonora. Ours are 
for the most part barren of mineral wealth, but Sonora is the California of Mexico. Three hun- 
dred years ago the Jesuit Fathers, coming into this country to save the souls of the Indians, 
found its mountains full of silver 
and gold. Although concerned 
principally with the affairs of 
the world to come, they never 
entirely neglected the things of 
this world : so the priests became 
prospectors and their Indian neo- 
phytes were turned into miners. 
Laymen had to render an ac- 
count and pay tribute to the 
crown on all their mines pro- 
duced, but these pious explorers 
claimed exemption from all such 
burdens, and the world will never 
know how much gold and silver 
was shipped in those early days 
by the Jesuit Fathers to the 
Church of Rome. 

There are traditions floating 
now all through the sierras and 
the Rockies of lost mines of fabulous wealth, and the credulous of both countries — and the 
Yankee can be quite as credulous as the Mexican — have been exploring these terrible canons 
and hunting through these mountain fastnesses, chasing sunbeams everywhere, in the vain effort 
to find something that probably never existed. 

But we can safely cast aside all these fancies. There is enough of actual riches easily to 
be found in these mountains to satisfy the wildest dreams of avarice, and Sonora has already 
shown that she is a state of great mineral resources. 

There are numerous gold- and silver-mines in Sonora. All the products of the temperate 
zone flourish here, besides coffee and much fruit. 

In a mining way Sonora offers a vast and virgin field to American capital. The great gold 
lode at MInas Prietas is but in the infancy of its development, and it has already produced 
many millions. Those who know assert that there are a number of such lodes in Sonora, 
which need only to be developed by the requisite capital to make them rivals of the Prietas 
lode, and nowhere in the world can mining operations be conducted more cheaply. 

Gold-mines are found all over the state, especially In the Altar district, where so many well- 
known old gold-mines have been known to exist. With the certainty of sa\-ing nearly all the 
gold by using the by-products, as in South Africa and other parts of the world, many new efforts 
have been made. Las Prietas and La Dura are the most productive in Sonora now. Las 
Prietas group has a population of five thousand people, and La Dura and surrounding may 
have two-thirds as many. Lampasas, in Northeast Sonora, is a silver camp that promises to 
grow, with additional machinery contemplated by its owners. 




Bay of Guaymas. 



304 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Batuc, in Ures district, has two paying mines, newly discovered, which, with the employ- 
ment of capital, will become very productive. These are of silver, with some gold. 

Lead is beine found in larsjer amounts than ever known before. 

Copper is also a new product, notably the Nacozari discoveries. 

Sonora, generally speaking, is well timbered and watered, and a very little coke added to 
the hard woods will furnish cheap fuel for lead smelting. In the great enterprises of irrigation, 
development, and cultivation of the natural resources in agriculture and horticulture there is a 
vast and virgin field to be occupied. 

On the Yaqui River the Sonora and Sinaloa Irrigation Company, with Mr. Walter S. Logan, 
of New York, as president, has completed its canal, which will reclaim nearly four hundred 




Principal Street in the City of Guaymas. 



thousand acres of land. But the great work of colonizing and bringing into productiveness all 
that vast tract of fertile soil remains to be done. Numerous similar projects of great magni- 
tude and importance are capable of development in Sonora, none of which should be neglected 
or overlooked by American capital. 

This early completion of the Yaqui Canal will produce a better state of things in that 
section, and safety to life and property. Most likely an extension of the railroad to that fertile 
section will follow. 

The principal railway in the state runs from Guaymas northerly to Benson, Arizona, con- 
necting with the Southern Pacific. This opens up one of the most fertile valleys of Sonora, 
together with some very picturesque scenery. 

European banking-houses have long had their eyes fixed on the state of Sonora, which is 



SONORA 



305 



indeed, as a distingfuished statesman has termed it, "the treasure-house of Mexico." Presi- 
dent Diaz is lending his powerful influence to the construction of the railway which is pro- 
jected from the main line of the Mexican Central at Chihuahua, and has undoubtedly had in 
view the realization of the predictions of eminent geological and mineral experts, who have 
pronounced Northwestern Mexico far richer in minerals than the older and better-known 
sections of the republic. 

Sonora is divided into eight cantons, — Ures, Hermosillo, Guaymas, Alamos, Montezuma, 
Zaoruarita, Altar, and Mag-dalena. Noeales is the northern railroad terminus, and lies next to 
the United States. 

Guaymas is surrounded by hills, and is a hot place. Before the railway reached it from 
Nogales the streets were dirty and narrow and the place was unhealthy, but it has much 




Government Palace, Hermosillo. 



improved of late. The port is commodious, with excellent anchorage, and furnishes safe harbor 
for many vessels. It is the port of entry for Sonora and Chihuahua, and its foreign trade is 
very large. The Indians carry on a large fishery business, and the chief exports are wheat, 
flour, and hides. 

Guaymas is one of the most important ports of Mexico. While there we had ample 
opportunity to see the beautiful girls for which the city is jusdy famous. They dress stylishly. 
Strange to say, light hair and blue eyes predominate, and there is many a fair head covered with 
Cleopatra-auburn hair. The water in the bay is beautiful, with more phosphorescence than I 
have ever seen elsewhere. Altogether, this was one of the loveliest ports we found in Mexico. 

The most beautiful sight in all my travels was the view of the bay at night around Guaymas. 



3o6 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



This vicinity is remarkable for the immense quantities of phosphorescence in the water, so dense 
that it coats everything with which it comes in contact. Hundreds of fish, coated with phos- 
phorus and all aglow with silvery light, can be seen darting in every direction ; even the bottoms 
of boats and the paddles of the boatmen shine with the strange evanescence as they come in 
contact with the water. The sight from the bow of the steamer Orizaba was simply wonderful 
as we left the port for Lower California : hundreds of these phosphorescent fishes were follow- 
ing us in eager pursuit of the refuse from the ship, and a streak of silver light extended back- 
ward, caused by her passage through the water, as far as we could see. 

The capital of Sonera is Hermosillo, in the midst of a region famous for producing delicious 
oranges and figs ; as much as thirty-five thousand dollars has been cleared here in one year from 




View of the City and Bay of Guaymas. 

one orange plantation alone. Hermosillo is an extremely Mexican city, and is very picturesque, 
resting in the shadow of rugged mountains. It has a population of from fifteen to twenty 
thousand people, including many Yaquis. It lies in a valley near the junction of the Horca- 
sitas and Sonora Rivers. 

The climate is hot, but healthy. A great deal of wheat is raised in the adjacent country, 
and there are several flourishing flour-mills in the town. Large quantities of brandy are 
manufactured from grapes, which abound in the valley. Hermosillo was, up to 1800, a mili- 
tary station, and was formerly the seat of the presidio of Pitic. After the discovery and open- 
ing of gold-mines in Sonora the population of Hermosillo grew rapidly, and the town is still 
the chief enti^epot of Sonora. 

In the mountainous regions of Sonora are numerous predatory bands of Indians, who have 



SONORA 



307 



long retarded the development of the state. The Tauri Mauri Indians number man)- thousand. 
They occupy fertile valleys far up among the mountain-trails and severest roadways. The 
largest city or pueblo among them is that of Norogochi, containing about eleven thousand 
people. The altitude of the town is seven thousand two hundred feet, and all the mountainous 
valleys occupied by the Tauri Mauri have an average altitude of six thousand four hundred and 
fifty feet. These Indians have a contempt for Mexican rule, which they show by their refusal, 
even after several centuries of authority, to speak .Spanish or to allow it to be taught to their 
children. 

In physique and facial appearance the Tauri Mauris resemble the Apache Indians of the 
United States. They wear their hair like the Apaches, and their clothing — a waist-cloth and 




View of int ilvw of iuavmas. 

sandals — is almost similar. They travel entirely on foot, and their arms are arrows and a bow. 
Thousands of them who work in the fields do not seem to know the use of a burro or a horse. 
They carry their burdens on their head and shoulders, and it is common to see an old man trot- 
ting- alone with a cigrarette in his mouth and a load of merchandise weig-hine over one hundred 
and fifty pounds fastened to his shoulders. As a race the Tauri Mauris are intensely proud. 
They have never had war with the Mexican government, but they have threatened it several 
times when the republic has proposed to settle the land question among them on a plan similar 
to that of the United States with its Indian wards. Strangers are permitted to pass unmo- 
lested through the Tauri Mauri countr)', but are not allowed to get a living there. There are 
very rich gold and silver ledges in the mountains all about the Tauri Mauri valleys, but so many 
venturesome prospectors have gone there and never come back, that no American, at least, has 



3o8 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

dared to make a trial of prospecting In that region for several decades. The Tauris live In 
houses of poles roofed with hewn planks. Their farms are fenced, and their stock is well 
cared for. 

There are about three hundred wild and rebellious Yaqui Indians hidden in the fastnesses 
of the Bacatete Mountains, and some thirty thousand peaceful Yaquis working all over Sonora, 
among the best workers, the most successful farmers, and the quietest citizens in the whole state. 

There are few things in the history of the native races of North America of more absorbing 
interest than the career of the Yaqui Indians. The Spanish conquistadores found them living in 
this country three hundred and fifty years ago. They were a strong and stalwart race. Put a 
Yaqui by the side of an Iroquois, and you can hardly tell them apart. Put a Yaqui and an 
Iroquois by the side of any other Indian in North America, and their physical superiority is seen 
at once. Compare them physically with all the other races of the earth, and you will find that 
they have few if any superiors. 

The Yaquis were not, however, like their prototypes the Iroquois, dependent upon the 
chase for their food. From the beginning they were not woodsmen, but farmers. Cabeza de 
Vaca, after his long, romantic, and perilous journey across the continent, found great fields of 
Indian corn waving on the Yaqui River as far back as 1536. When the early Spanish missions 
were established in the Californias they obtained their supplies from the agricultural Indians 
in the Yaqui valley, and many a Spanish army was saved from starvation in times past by the 
Yaqui cornfields. 

At Ouergache are the " Gambucinos," or miners who live by creeping into the old mines 
and working out enough of the rich silver ores to support them for a few days. They are an 
ignorant, shiftless, and thievish set, who will not cultivate the ground any more than they can 
possibly help. Here, too, is a cathedral erected three hundred years ago, when the Spaniards 
worked the mines around this place. The church, built in honor of Senora Pillaro, has suffered 
from fire and has been only partly restored. It is a lofty, roomy affair, of cut stone carved by 
artists from old Spain, and patched with adobes by lazy mestizos. 

In such a church and in such a city one feels as if the spirit had gone back into the ages of 
the past. This is not a part of the busy, bustling nineteenth century ; it is a day-dream in the 
world of three hundred years ago. 

The state of Sonora is fortunate in having for its governor Don Ramon Corral, to whose 
integrity of purpose and wise supervision it owes its recent prosperity. 




BA7A CALIFORNIA 



309 



CHAPTER XXXVI 



BAJA CALIFORNIA 

^^P^^^HE peninsula of Lower California forms one of the territories composing the republic 
m \ of Mexico. This peninsula was discovered by Cortez in 1536. The Jesuits began 

^ \ J to form establishments there about 1690, and instructed the native Indians in the 
^^Bl^ arts of agriculture and civilization. They were taught the arts of irrigation, and 
exported agricultural productions to the mainland of Mexico. The Jesuit fathers 
remained there until 1767, when they were expelled, and the missions which they had estab- 
lished were placed under the charge of the 
Dominican fathers at Mexico City, under whom 
they greatly declined, so that in 1833 they 
were all secularized. The region settled by 
these Jesuit and Dominican fathers in the 
eighteenth century is extremely beautiful, and 
the ruins of the old mission are to-day exceed 
ingly picturesque. 

While everybody knows of the beauties of 
Southern California, there is dense ignorance 
among most readers of the fact that the penin- 
sula of Lower California is equally beautiful. 
It is, in fact, a continuation of the same general 
features. 

The imaginary line that separates Southern 
California from Baja California marks no differ- 
ence in soil or climate. The valleys and mesas 
on the Mexican side are as good as those upon 
the American. All they need are irrigation 
works and roads. When these are supplied, 
and it becomes known that fruits, cereals, and 
wines can be profitably produced there, Mexico 
will be an open market, and the peninsula 
will gradually fill up with an industrious popu- 
lation. 

Taking the steamer Orizaba at Guaymas, 
we went to La Paz and San Jose del Cabo. At La Paz we visited the pearl-fisheries, and 
were duly initiated into the mysteries of the hideous-looking diving apparatus. The Mexican 
government leases these fisheries to the companies that operate them, and some fine pearls 




CoRONEL Rafael Garcia Martinez, 

Jefe Politico, La Paz. 



3IO PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

have been brought up from the depths of the ocean off the rock)' coast of Lower California. 
We were told of a black pearl worth ten thousand dollars in gold that was sold to Madame 
Carnot, the wife of the former president of France ; and recently another exquisite pearl was 
sold in the American market for thirty-five thousand dollars. The pearl industry, conducted as 
it is under perilous surroundings, has its incidental curious phases. The divers are all the 
time attempting to steal these gems, and a common practice it is. While working, if they find 
a pearl, their faces never change expression ; but if detected, the diver, who also opens the 
shells, will simply swallow the pearl. In such cases it is restored to its rightful owner by a 
prompt dose of tartar emetic. 

These deposits have yielded the finest pearls discovered in modern times. They are still 
yielding, and to-day more pearls are found there than anj'where else along the coasts of the 
two Americas. 

More than a thousand di\'ers are employed during the season, which lasts from the month 
of May to November of each year. They are furnished with boats, money, and diving para- 
phernalia by local merchants, with whom they contract for all the pearls they can find. The 
total annual product is estimated at five hundred thousand dollars. 

Baja California contains some fifty-seven thousand five hundred square miles. The popu- 
lation is composed largely of Indians and mixed races, and is principally in the southern part. 







Port of L.\ Paz, showing the Great Pearl-fisheries of Baja Cai.ieofnia. 

It is divided into eight districts, each having an alcalde as judicial head. The coasts are low and 
sandy, and broken up by many islands and bays along the entire length. La Magdalena, the 
bay, has been regularly visited for fifty years past by American whalers, sealers, and fur-hunters. 
The bay of La Paz is the most important in the gulf, penetrating inland some twenty-five miles. 
The cove opposite the town of La Paz may be reached by vessels not drawing over twenty feet 
of water. Loreto, Los Angeles, and San Felipe Jesus are the other ports of any importance. 

The entire peninsula is traversed by a volcanic range of mountains. This is divided into 
three sections, the Sierra de San Lazaro, with an average heio-ht of six thousand feet, forminor the 
principal backbone of the lower peninsula. The Sierra de la Gigantea has an average elevation 
of three thousand or four thousand feet, with occasional peaks six to eight thousand feet high, 
and lies north of the San Lazaro ran^e ; and still farther north is the Coast rano-e, havinor an 
average breadth of one hundred and thirty-five miles. These are barren and desolate near the 
summits, with cactuses of enormous size at their base, and some very fertile valleys. Toward 
the interior there are many springs which send out streams that afterward lose themselves in 



BAJA CALIFORNIA 



n I 



the sand. Along- the coast lagoons there is much good soil, and in the plains and most of the 
dry river-beds water is tound a few feet below the surface, offering easy and inexpensive means 
of irrigation. Wherever irrigation in any form has been practised the crops are exceedingly 
abundant. 

The summer temperature along the Pacific coast varies from fifty-eight to seventy-one 
degrees, but that on the gulf coast is higher. The scenery is in many places picturescpie. The 
sky is remarkable for its transparency and deep azure color, save at sunset, when it is often 
variegated by the most beautiful shades of purple, \-iolet, and green. In winter there are hea\)- 
rains and terrific tornadoes. In summer and autumn, especially on the gulf coast, rain often 
falls from a cloudless sky. 

The vegetable productions of Baja California are corn, wheat, beans, peas, manioc, grapes, 
oranges, lemons, citrons, prunes, dates, plantains, pineapples, olives, and figs. The sugar-cane 
has also been cultivated, and 
some cotton was raised b)' the 
Jesuits. Several varieties of the 
agave family are abundant, and 
many kinds of acacia-trees, such 
as mesquites, algarrobas, and 
locusts, are common. Two ^•ari- 
eties of native palms bearing 
edible fruit are frequently found. 
The pine, cedar, oak, wild plum, 
Cottonwood, sycamore, willow, 
and elder are also met with. 
The principal animals are wild 
sheep, goats, horses, horned 
cattle, mules, and swine. The 
adjacent seas abound with e.xcel- 
lent fish. The pearl-oyster is 
found at intervals along the 
coast. It is most abundant in 
the bay of La Paz, near Loreto, 
and in the bays of Muleje and Los Angeles. Fossil remains are found in various parts. 
Argentiferous galenas are very common above Muleje Bay, and pure sulphur occurs in the 
same region. Copper ores are found in several places between the northern boundar)' and the 
old mission of Rosario, on the Pacific coast, and also on the northern gulf coast ; the deposits 
on Ceralbo, San Jose, and Espiritu Santo Island are very rich. Quicksilver is also said to have 
been found near Santa Catalina Mission, at the head of the gulf The salt-beds of the Pacific 
coast, from San Ouintin to Magdalena Bay, are numerous, and the salt is readily obtained. 
The salt-mines on Carmen Island are \'ery rich, and large quantities of salt have been exported to 
San Francisco. The Mexican government has derived considerable revenue from these mines. 
There is a great deal of activity in the mining districts adjacent to Ensenada. The historj' 
of the Pueblo mine is well known to miners. The fabulous deposits of gold found in pockets near 
the surface and the number of coyote-holes that can be seen give evidence of the methods 
employed in days gone by. This and the Castillo Avere the first gold-mines worked in that 
section. The latter was started fortv vears ago, and gave birth to the town of Real del Castillo. 




GoviiRNMEXT House, La Paz. 



312 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Besides these, there are the San Nicolas, San Francisco, San Luis, Suiza, Accidente, Tepeyac, 
and San Rafael in the Real district ; and the China, Piedad, Mina, California, Cristo, San Luis, 
and other valuable properties in the Jacalitos district. 

Politically the peninsula is a territory, not a state, of the Mexican republic. It has two 
capitals, — La Paz in the south and Ensenada in the north, — and two governors appointed by 
the federal authority, as governors of territories are appointed with us. The great length of 
the peninsula and the difficulty of passing through this length have made necessary its division 
into these two districts. There is no territorial legislature. The few government employees 
are paid out of the federal treasury, and, with the exception of customs duties, there are no 
taxes, except for local improvements. There are therefore no "politics" in this quiet land. 

The government requires the inhabitants to 
obey the laws and keep the peace, and 
ample powers are given to the governors to 
maintain order and punish violence. At La 
Paz there is a small force of troops ; at 
Ensenada the governor had until recently 
under his control a police force of fifteen 
mounted men, well armed and active, who 
were sufficient for all purposes. 

Ensenada is a real American town, and 
is exceedingly attractive in appearance. It 
is beautifully situated in a healthful location, 
and is the natural outlet of considerable 
inland business and mineral wealth. Here 
lives the governor, Agustin Sagines, of the 
upper portion of the territory, and the sev- 
eral public buildings do credit to the place 
and to him. 

Magdalena Bay is one of the most 
beautiful places along the Pacific coast, and 
is surrounded by a beautiful country. The 
climate all along here is uncommonly salu- 
brious, and Magdalena Bay offers a very 
desirable site for a sanatarium. The bay is 
of large dimensions and is accessible in all 
weather. Orchilla is a parasitic moss which 
hangs from the trees throughout this region, adding a touch of picturesqueness to the natural 
beauties of the place. Large quantities of it are gathered on the sea-shore and in the vicinity, 
pressed, and shipped to Europe, where it is used for the purpose of dyeing sealskins, etc. A 
large fortune has already been made by an enterprising company in handling this innocent- 
looking gray moss which has such valuable properties. 

The region all through this district is particularly productive and offers great inducements 
for Investment. The missionaries, after 1730, introduced the Arabian date-palm, which succeeds 
admirably and yields abundantly, and also oranges, lemons, and all the species of the citrine 
family, pineapples, bananas, and plantains. They planted the vine, olive, fig, pomegranate, 
almond, peach, quince ; and even plums, apples, pears, melons, watermelons, and such like, in 




CoRONEi, Agustin Sagines, 

Jefe Politico, Ensenada. 



BAJA CALIFORNIA 




^^'W% '-^^ 





The Bay at Ensenada. 



more elevated and cooler dis- 
tricts. The vine, fig-, olive, cur- 
rant grape, almond, quince, and 
peach are more luscious and 
grow much more quickly, and 
with less labor and expense, 
than in Alta California, and in 
many locaHties are unsurpassed 
in the world for luxuriance, 
sweetness, and flavor. The fig 
and grape are much sweeter, 
and the grape ripens more 
quickly and better, from hotter 
and drier suns, and makes much 
richer wine, brandy, raisins, and 
currants. 

There is much good land 
near the missions of Rosario, 
San Vicente, Santo Domingo, 
and Santo Tomas. Several per- 
manent streams and a number of coast lagoons furnish abundance of excellent water for animals 
and irrigation. 

The region around Cape San Lucas is beautiful in the extreme, and not far from there 
lies the picturesque little village of San Jose del Cabo, which is a shipping port with a coast 
custom-house section. The Orizaba and the Coos Bay, steamers of the Pacific Coast Com- 
pany, stop at all principal ports, and furnish the best possible means of communication between 

San Francisco and Guaymas, 
Sonora. 

La Paz has a population of 
three thousand. This is the resi- 
dence of the governor, Coronel 
Rafael G. Martinez, and his offi- 
cial assistants for the southern 
district, and is an exceedingly 
picturesque town, especially as 
approached by the sea. Al- 
though not a large town, many 
of the houses are tasteful and 
convenient, and indicate that the 
place has long been the abode of 
luxury. The port is well shel- 
tered, the climate hot, and the 
surrounding country productive. 
The shipping is growing, and 
the pearl-fisheries still form an 
Pier at Ensenada. important source of revenue. 




314 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



There are o-reat resources in Baja California, although its position is unique. While it is 
isolated from all the other states of Mexico, it has more seaports than any state, and many 




City of Ensenada. 

Other advantages for future growth and prosperity with the development of the rest of the 
republic of Mexico. 

From Ensenada, which is the last Mexican town in Baja California, we went by way of San 
Francisco, taking the Southern Pacific Railroad, and going back to the republic of Mexico at 
El Paso, Texas. 



/^"C^JT^X 




MICHOACAN 



315 



CHAPTER XXXVII 



XT 



MICHOACAN 

HE state of Michoacan has been o-iven a name which, accordino- to some authors, 
means "fisherman's country." Its territory is extremely mountainous and Its 
scenery strikingly picturesque. It is characterized by enchanting gorges, beautiful 
valleys, and vast plains of fertile lands along the banks of glistening streams, whose 
course, sometimes impeded by huge rocks, occasionally acquires great rapidity, as 

can be observed especially at the falls of Onendo. At times, after meandering over the ground, 

a stream will sally forth in the midst of exuberant 

vegetation and drop again from festooned falls 

in myriads of crystalline threads, which sparkle 

in the sunbeams, reflecting all the prismatic 

colors. This wonderful spectacle is particularly 

noticeable on the banks of the Cupachito. 

Cortez took an excursion through Michoa- 

can after the fall of Mexico, and was delighted 

with what he saw. It was at that time a power- 
ful and independent state, inhabited by one of 

the kindred Nahuatlac races. The Spaniards 

advanced across the state and erected a cross 

on the Pacific coast in the name of their Cath- 
olic majesties. On their return they took back 

samples of gold and California pearls, and the 

report of the great southern ocean beyond. 

Cortez wrote, " Most of all do I exult in these 

tidings of the oreat ocean. For in it, as cos- 

mographers and those learned men who know 

most about the Indies inform us, are scattered 

rich isles, teeming with gold and spices and 

precious stones." For even then had Spaniards 

begun to look on Mexico as a great treasure- 
house to be drawn upon to support their own 

extravagant country. 

Michoacan lies on the western slope of the 

great cordillera of Anahuac ; it is bounded on the north by |alisco, Guanajuato, and Queretaro, 

on the east by Mexico, on the south by Guerrero and the Pacific, and on the west by the sea, 

Colima, and Jalisco. Its area is tv/enty-one thousand six hundred and nine square miles. Its 




Senor Aristeo Mercado, 

Governor of Michoacan. 



ii6 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



most noted mountain-peak is the volcano of Jorullo. The liighest point is the Cerro de Santa 
Rosa, in the district of Tlapujahua, about seventeen thousand feet. Between the ridges stretch 
elevated and fertile valleys, watered by several rivers, the principal being the Lerma and the 
Mescala, or Balsas, besides many mountain torrents. 

Of the eleven lakes, the most noted are Lake Chapala, partly in Jalisco, Lake Patzcuaro, 
and Lake Cuitzeo. 

Along the one hundred miles of coast the ports are San Telmo, Buceria, and Maratua. 
The first was once open to foreign traders, but, owing to a lack of shelter, none of these 
harbors are of importance. 

Michoacan has a variety of climates, corresponding to its altitude, but it is generally very 
healthy. The mean annual temperature at Morelia is seventy-one degrees. The mines are 




Governor's Palace, Morelia. 

principally silver, though gold, copper, cinnabar, iron, coal, sulphur, copperas, emery, lead, 
marble, and lithographic stone are also found. 

The soil is extremely fertile, and the state is like one great garden. Corn usually yields 
four-hundred-fold. Cattle, horses, mules, and hogs are extensively raised, and there is excellent 
opportunity in this beautiful state for the enterprising agriculturist. 

Among the manufactures are rebozos, serapes, blankets, and fine silver-ware. There are 
numerous flour-mills, one or two elass-factories, and steam weaving-factories in Morelia. There 
are excellent roads in this state, and for twenty-five years past the principal telegraph lines 
have been in communication with Morelia and other points. There is a state college, as well 
as a large number of schools, both public and private. 



MICHOACAN 



0^1 



There are seventeen districts in Michoacan, and the chief towns are MoreHa (the capital), 
Puruandiro, Zamora, Ario, Tacambaro, and Tareton. 

Morelia stands upon a rocky hill six thousand four hundred and thirty-eight feet above the 
sea. The streets are wide and reg-ularly laid out. On one side of the Plaza de los Martires, 
the principal square, stands the noble cathedral, and extensive arcades are along the others, as 
this is the principal business centre. The houses are very substantially built, and the govern- 
ment building is very handsome. The San Nicolas College, which was built in the sixteenth 
century and remodelled in 1868, is one of the finest edifices in the republic of Mexico. It is in 
the renaissance style, with many departments, including law, medicine, pharmacy, and agriculture. 
There were at one time a great many convents and nunneries, but these were suppressed in 
1859. Here is one of the finest bull-rings in Mexico. There are also several asylums, hospitals, 
and a fine prison. Morelia is always admired by strangers for its broad and airy streets, fine 
houses, and general beauty. There is a crowded market-place that is always interesting, and the 



climate is ever delightful, 
with flat stones, shaded by 
a low stone wall with stone 
usual, is the social resort of the 
aqueduct of solid masonry, 
and lofty arches and very 

Morelia was founded in 
received the name of Valla- 
Morelos, however, was born 
of Nucupetaro, and after 
town was changed in his 

Morelia is one of the 
and its women enjoy the same 
beautiful plaza, the magnifi- 
San Pedro, the Calzado de 
are objects of attraction ; but 
the beauty of the women, the 
combine to make a most in- 
If there was nothing else at 
journey to Morelia to view 







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Monument to Ocampo, Morelia. 



The alameda is broad, paved 
fine old trees, and bounded by 
benches alongside. This, as 
town. It is crossed by a fine 
constructed in 1 788, with vast 
imposing in effect. 
1 541 by the Spaniards, and 
dolid. The patriotjose Maria 
here and served as curate 
his death the name of the 
honor. 

prettiest cities in all Mexico, 
reputation for beauty. The 
cent cathedral, the Paseo de 
Guadalupe, and the aqueduct, 
the hospitality of the people, 
music, and the flowers all 
teresting visit to the traveller, 
the end of it, it is worth the 
the cathedral and the ereat 



towers thereof, that may be seen from afar off overtopping the high hills, giving the first glimpse 
of the city as the train comes up the valley from the east. 

There is not a finer edifice anywhere in Mexico, outside the capital, than the cathedral of 
the see of Michoacan, and even the cathedral of Mexico is not superior except in size. The 
towers, the great organ, the silver altar-rails, vestments and vessels, images and candelabra of 
fine silver, have not an equal anywhere, though these are only a remnant of what used to be, 
nearly half a million dollars' worth having been confiscated by the government some twenty years 
ago, though one can hardly miss what has been taken away or tell where they put it when it 
was here. The silver font from v.-hich Iturbide and Morelos were baptized is still in use. The 
cathedral is beautifully situated, with the main front facing the Plaza de los Martires, and the 
eastern looking over the Plaza de la Paz. In the Plaza de los INIartires, which means the 
plaza of the martyrs, are the most beautiful trees and flowers, and in the midst of them a 
pavilion where the band plays in the evening, — that famous, magnificent band that was at the 



3i8 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

New Orleans Exposition, the favorite band of Mexico. And to this plaza come also the " four 
hundred" of Morelia. In the afternoon there is music in the beautiful Parque de San Pedro, 
and the walk thither, not a long one, is through the Calzado de Guadalupe, a paved way shaded 
by immense elms, the walk-way being in the centre and the drives on each side in front of the 
residences. The trip can be made on the horse-cars, but there is everything to recommend the 
deliohtful walk. 

The state is called in full Michoacan de Ocampo, in honor of one of the great heroes of 
Me.xican independence. We were shown through the handsome library, in which is preserved 
the heart of Ocampo, and it was my privilege to hold in my hand the gold and white enamel 
casket which contains that relic, which is almost worshipped by the patriotic Michoacanos. 

The story of Ocampo adds another to the many romantic episodes of Mexico's revolution- 
ary days. He was one of the greatest heroes who sacrificed life for the sake of the country 
he was so determined to free from foreign t)Tanny. When he was captured by the enemy and 
condemned to be shot, his last request was that his heart should be taken from his dead body 
and carried back to his native state. This was done, and the state was rechristened in loving 
memory of one of its greatest heroes, Michoacan de Ocampo. 

By moonlight Morelia looks like a panorama of Mexico, with its fine square, beautiful 
streets, and good houses. Near by is the hill of Las Bateas, where by the order of Morelos 
two hundred Spaniards were murdered in cold blood to revenge the death of the curate Mata- 
moros, who had been taken prisoner and shot by Iturbide. It is singular that the great leaders 
of the independence should have been ecclesiastics, — the curate Hidalgo, its prime mover, and 
the curates Morelos and Matamoros. Hidalgo, it is said, had no plan, published no manifesto, 
declared no opinions, but rushed from city to city at the head of his men, displaying on his 
colors an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and inciting his troops to massacre the Spaniards. 
Morelos was an Indian, uneducated but brave and enterprising, and considered the mildest and 
most merciful of these soldier-priests. Matamoros, equally brave, was better informed. All 
were good generals. Wlien Morelos became generalissimo of the revolutionary forces he 
formed a congress, which met at Chilpancingo, and was composed of lawyers and clergymen. 
Disputes and divisions arose among them, and in 1S14 they published a useless document in 
the village of Apatzingan to which they gave the name of the " Mexican Constitution." The 
following year Morelos was defeated in an engagement which took place in the environs of 
Tesmelaca, taken prisoner, led to Mexico, and after a short trial degraded from his ecclesiastical 
functions and shot in the village of San Cristobal Ecatepec, seven leagues from the capital. 
The revolutionary party considered him as a martyr in the cause of liberty, and he died like 
a true hero. The appellation of Morelia given to the city of Valladolid keeps his name in 
remembrance. 

As Agustin de Iturbide was a native of Morelia, and his career forms a part of Mexican 
history, a condensed account of him may not be out of place here. 

He was born of Spanish parents, who came to Mexico a few months before his birth. 
When he was only fifteen years old he became heir to and assumed the care of his father's 
estate, and was also made lieutenant of one of the militia infantry regiments of Valladolid, as 
it was then called. In 1805 he joined the army at jalapa. On his return in 1809 he aided 
in repressing a revolutionary movement, which was followed on September 16, 1810, by the 
revolution planned by Hidalgo. Iturbide took the field "in the service of the Mexicans, the 
King of Spain, and the Spaniards," vying with the latter in rigor toward the insurgents. He 
gained distinction in the battle of Cruces, and was made a captain in the southern army, but ill 



MICHOACAN 



319 



health compelled him to go to the city of INIexico, and he was sent to Michoacan as second 
in command under Garcia Conde. Here he again aided in quenching the revolutionary fire, 
rekindled by Albino Garcia, whom he captured ; and he was soon afterward made colonel. 
From that time till the end of 1815 he took part in all the engagements of the royal troops, 
directed for the most part against Jose Maria Morelos, who after the execution of Hidalgo 
succeeded him as leader of the insurgent forces. The year 181 6 found him in command of the 
provinces of Guanajuato and Michoacan and of the northern army by which they were then 
occupied ; but he had incurred the displeasure of some leading citizens, and grave accusations 
were preferred against him, which led to his dismissal. On returning to private life Iturbide set 
about maturing his long-cherished project of independence. The news of the Spanish consti- 




Lake Tatzcuaro, Michoacan. 

tution, proclaimed in the peninsula in 1820, filled Mexican soldiers with the desire of freeing 
their country. The movement soon became general, and Iturbide, seeing that the time for 
action had come, secured command of the southern army, about to march against Guerrero, 
who was then at Acapulco at the head of the remaining rebel forces. On November 16, 
1820, he set out from the capital, and to lull the suspicions of the government simulated 
some encounters with Guerrero, to whom he in reality communicated his project ; and, having 
concerted with him relative to future operations, he informed the viceroy that the rebellion was 
entirely at an end. 

This intelligence restored confidence among merchants, and a convoy was despatched to 
Acapulco, with five hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, which money Iturbide seized, 
promising to refund it to its owners. With these resources at his disposal and secret agents in 



320 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



all parts of the country, he promulgated, on February 24, 1821, his plan of independence, 
known in history as the " Plan of Iguala," from the name of the town where it was put forth. 
The principal bases of the plan were "religion, union of Spaniards and Mexicans, and inde- 
pendence ; Ferdinand VIL, or, in case of his refusal, such other member of a reigning family 
as the congress soon to be organized might choose, to be called to the new empire." His next 
step was to inform the viceroy of what had taken place, and the latter immediately organized 
an army to crush the revolution in its infancy. But this measure came too late. Meantime the 
newly appomted viceroy, Don Juan de O'Donoju, arrived from Spain, and, finding the sup- 
pression of the new order of things to be impossible, he concluded with Iturbide, at Cordova, 
August 24, 182 1, a treaty in accordance with the plan of Iguala, except in the clause relating 
to the election of emperor, who, in case of the refusal of Ferdinand VII. and of some other 

princes enumerated, should be " any one desig- 
nated by the Cortes." On September 27 Itur- 
bide made his entry into the capital amid the 
acclamations of the people. The junta guber- 
nativa prescribed in the plan of Iguala was at 
once organized, and Iturbide, who at Iguala had 
prudently refused the title of lieutenant-general 
and accepted that of first chief of the army, 
was formally installed in office. Peace was 
soon established ; the few Spanish troops in 
garrison at important stations became discour- 
aged ; the only stronghold left the Spaniards 
was the fortress of San Juan de Ulua, off Vera 
Cruz ; and the peninsula of Yucatan, with the 
province of Chiapas and several towns in Guate- 
mala, declared their independence, and were 
ultimately united to the Mexican empire. Such 
of the Spanish residents as desired to leave the 
country were permitted to do so without re- 
straint, which liberal measure, with numerous 
others emanating from the new government, 
served to increase its short-lived popularity. 
But Iturbide, who had been successful in organ- 
izing and carrying out a -bloodless revolution, 
was unable to establish a government upon a 
solid basis. A regency composed of three 
members, according to the plan, was appointed. Iturbide was proclaimed generalissimo of the 
land and marine forces and president of the regency, with an annual salary of one hundred 
and twenty thousand dollars, an immediate donation of one million dollars, twenty square 
leagues of land in Texas, and the title of serene highness. Before long signs of discord 
between Iturbide and the junta became visible. The treasury was depleted and nearly all 
sources of revenue were cut off, while the national expenses were greatly enhanced ; the army 
was without discipline ; and public opinion was divided between republicanism and the new 
form of government. Iturbide hastened the convocation of the first congress, in the hope of 
immediate relief; but that body obstinately refused to grant him money for the troops, and even 




Portal de Matamoros, Morelia. 



MICHOACAN 321 

declared the command of the army to be incompatible with the executive power. But the 
generalissimo had sixteen thousand men at his disposal in the capital, and through the agency 
of his partisans he was proclaimed emperor on the night of May 18, 1822. On the 21st the 
proclamation was confirmed by congress, which declared the crown hereditary in his family, 
fixed the civil list at one million five hundred thousand dollars annually, created an order of 
knighthood and other accessories of a monarchy, established the imperial household with the 
customary pomp, and ordered money to be coined with his effigy. He was crowned on July 21. 
The symptoms of anarchy had not disappeared, however, and a conspiracy organized in V^alla- 
dolid led to the arrest of several persons, among them fifteen deputies. This, with the arbitrary 
seizure by the government of one million three hundred thousand dollars deposited at Perote 
and Jalapa, exasperated the people ; and Iturbide, harassed by the continued opposition of the 
congress, dissolved that body on October 31. But Santa Anna proclaimed the republic at Vera 
Cruz on December 2 ; the junta instituyente, which had succeeded the congress, was unable to 
establish order ; defection became general among the army officers, and the republican troops 
were fast advancing towards the capital. Iturbide, in despair, hastily reassembled the congress 
and tendered his abdication ; but that body, not recognizing the abdication, annulled the election 
of the emperor, and decreed that he should at once leave the country and "fix his residence 
in Italy," granting him a yearly pension of twenty-five thousand dollars, and declaring null 
the plan of Iguala and the treaty of Cordova. On May 11, 1823, Iturbide set sail for Leg- 
horn, where he arrived on August 2. Impelled by an insane desire for the recover}^ of his 
crown, he proceeded to England, and on May 11, 1824, embarked for Mexico. During the 
year a new government had been formed, with a republican constitution, and Iturbide had no 
influential friends left in the country. The government, apprised of his movements, declared 
him "a traitor and an outlaw in case he should at any time and under any title whatsoever set 
his foot upon Mexican territory, and that by that act alone he should be regarded as a public 
enemy of the state." Iturbide arrived at Soto la Marina on July 14, and landed in disguise; 
but he was apprehended by the military commandant, who detained him a prisoner at Padilla, 
awaiting the decision of the congress of Tamaulipas. That body sentenced him to immediate 
execution. He was shot on the morning of July 19, 1824. The congress of Mexico decreed 
that his family should reside in Colombia, and settled upon them a yearly pension of eight thou- 
sand dollars ; but, as there was no ship for a Colombian port, his wife was permitted to go to 
the United States. She lived for many years in Philadelphia, and then went to Bayonne, in 
France. Angel de Iturbide, the eldest son of the emperor, died in the city of Mexico in 1872, 
leaving a son, who had been adopted by Maximilian as heir to the throne ; and the Emperor 
Iturbide's younger son died in Paris in May, 1873, where he had earned a precarious subsistence 
as keeper of a public-house. The claims of the Iturbide family in recent times are too recent 
and too well known to need any comment here. 

About five or six leagues from Morelia are the natural hot springs of Cuincho. These 
baths are resorted to by many invalids, and will doubtless come to be quite a health-resort. All 
the streams that come pouring down from these rocky hill-sides are hot, evidently coming from 
volcanic sources, as they are heavily charged with muriatic acid. Humboldt ventures the sup- 
position that in this part of Mexico at a great interior depth is a fissure running east and west 
for about four hundred miles, through which, bursting the external crust of porphyritic rock, the 
volcanic fire opens now and then a passage at different points from the Mexican gulf to the 
Pacific. The famous volcano of Jorullo is on this vein, and boiling fountains are common in 
various portions of it. The baths at Cuincho are delightfully agreeable, and the temperature 



322 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



of the water deliciously refreshing. For many decades these baths have been enclosed in great 
stone walls, the light coming from a high window near the roof. 

Jorullo, some twenty leagues to the south, has been ascended many times. As far back as 
1813 M. de Humboldt and M. Bonpland ascended to the crater of this burning mountain, 
which was formed in September, 1759. Its birth was announced by earthquakes, which put to 
flight all the inhabitants of the neighboring villages ; and three months afterwards a terrible erup- 
tion burst forth, which filled all the inhabitants with astonishment and terror, and which Humboldt 
considers one of the most extraordinary physical revolutions that ever took place on the surface 
of the globe. Flames issued from the earth for the space of more than a square league. 
Masses of burning rock were thrown to an immense height, and through a thick cloud of ashes 




Paseo de San Pedko, Morelia. 

illuminated by the volcanic fire the whitened crust of the earth was seen gradually swelling up. 
The ashes even covered the roofs of the houses at Oueretaro, forty-eight leagues distant, and 
the rivers of San Andres and Cuitumba sank into the burning masses. The flames were seen 
from Patzcuaro ; and from the hills of Agua-Zarca was beheld the birth of this volcanic mountain, 
the burning offspring of an earthquake, which, bursting from the bosom of the earth, changed 
the whole face of the country for a considerable distance around. In a letter written at the 
time of this event to the Bishop of Michoacan by the curate of the neighboring village, he says 
that the eruption finished by destroying the hacienda of Jorullo and killing the trees, which were 
thrown down and buried in the sand and ashes vomited by the mountain. The fields and roads 
were, he says, covered with sand, the crops destroyed, and the flocks perishing for want of food, 
unable to drink the pestilential water of the mountains. The rivulet that ran past his village 



MICHOACAN 



323 



was swelled to a mighty river that threatened to inundate it; and he adds that "the houses, 
churches, and hospitals are ready to fall down from the weight of the sand and the ashes," and 
that "the very people are so covered with the sand that they seem to have come out of some 
sepulchre." The great eruptions of the volcano continued till the following year, but have 
since become rare. 

The scenery around Lake Patzcuaro is extremely picturesque. At the foot of the hills 
which slope back from the northern end lies the village of Tzintzuntzan, which possesses the 
finest picture in Mexico, an excellent specimen of the great master Titian. Although only a 
small village, Tzintzuntzan was formerly the capital of the independent kingdom of Michoacan, an 
important city, and called in the time of Cortez Huitzitzila. It was formerly the residence of the 
monarch Calsonsi, who was an ally of Cortez, and with his Indian subjects assisted him in his 
Mexican war. It is now an Indian villao^e, though it is said that some remains of the monarch's 
palace still exist apropos of which there may be seen all through the state large stones 
lying in fields or employed in fences, with strange hieroglyphic characters engraved on them, 
some of which may be very curi- 
ous and interesting. The view 
as we approach Patzcuaro, with 
its beautiful lake studded with 
little islands, is very fine. An old 
church nestles like a bird-house 
amongf the trees, and stands at 
the outskirts of the city. Here, 
it is said, his majesty of Michoa- 
can came out to meet his Spanish 
ally when he entered this terri- 
tory. 

Patzcuaro is a pretty little 
city, with sloping roofs, situated 
on the shores of the lake and in 
front of the little Indian village 
of Janicho, built on a beautiful 
small island in the midst of the 
lake. There are churches bear- 
ing the date of 1580. The first 
bishop of Michoacan, Vasco de Ouiroga, who died in Uruapan, Avas buried in Patzcuaro, and 
the Indians of this state still venerate his memory. He was the father and benefactor of the 
Tarascan Indians, and went far to rescue them from their degraded state. He not only 
preached morality, but encouraged industry among them by assigning to each village its partic- 
ular branch of commerce. Thus, one was celebrated for its manufacture of saddles, another 
for its shoes, a third for its bateas (painted trays), and so on. Every useful institution of which 
some traces still remain among them is due to this excellent prelate ; an example of what one 
ofood and zealous and well-iudorino; man can effect. The old church of Patzcuaro is handsome 
and rich in gilding. At the door is printed, in large letters, "For the love of God, all good 
Christians are requested not to spit in this holy place." The better classes in Patzcuaro seem 
fairer and have more color than is general in Mexico. In this old town, too, one may see speci- 
mens of that mosaic-work which all ancient writers upon Mexico have celebrated, and which 




College of Santa Maria de Guadalupe, Morelia. 



324 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

was nowhere brought to such perfection as in Patzcuaro. It was made with the most beautiful 
and delicate feathers, chiefly of the picaflores, the humming-birds, which they called huitzitzilin. 
But it is now many years since the last artist in this branch lived in Patzcuaro, and, though it is 
imitated by the nuns, the art is no longer in the state of perfection to which it had been brought 
in the days of Cortez. Then several persons were employed in each painting, and the work 
required extraordinary patience and nicety in the blending of colors and the arrangement of 
the feathers. The sketch of the figure was first made, and, the proportions being measured, 
each artist took charge of one particular part of the figure or the drapery. When each had 
finished his share, all the different parts were reunited to form the picture. The feathers were • 
first taken up with some soft substance with the utmost care and fastened upon a piece of stuff; 
then the different parts, being reunited, were placed on a plate of copper and gently polished 
till the surface became quite smooth, when they appeared like the most beautiful paintings ; or, 
according- to old writers, more beautiful, from the splendor and liveliness of the colors, the 
bright golden and blue and crimson tints, than the paintings which they imitated. Many were 
sent to Spain and to different museums both in Europe and in Mexico ; but the art does not 
belong to the present utilitarian age. The lake from this point is as clear as one vast mirror, 
and covered with thousands of wild ducks, white cranes, and herons, all seeming to whiten their 
plumage by constant dipping in pools and marshes and lakes. 

Patzcuaro is well entitled to its name, which being interpreted means "a place of delights," 
and it certainly means this to anybody who goes there. The station is on the lake-shore ; 
a diligence runs to the town, two miles up the hill, and the drive is a most charming one, as 
the beautiful view grows wider and wider as the hill is ascended, and when at the top the lake 
with its islands, and the valley with its fields of green and its four dozen towns and villages, are 
included in the scope of vision. The quaint plaza, shaded by great trees, surrounded on four 
sides with heavy columned portales, the market-place, the narrow, crooked streets, with shrines 
and crosses in every nook and corner, and the grand view from Los Balcones, at the crest of 
the Cerro de Calvario, are all subjects of the greatest interest. There is a little steamer on 
the lake, which runs from the dock to the northern shores, making several landings at away- 
back towns where there are no railways and perhaps never will be. The object of the 
voyage on the lake, and, in fact, the trip to Patzcuaro, is the famous painting in the old church 
at the village of Tzintzuntzan, on the east shore of the lake, — The Entombment, by Titian, pre- 
sented to the bishop of Michoacan by Philip II. of Spain. Many noted writers and artists have 
made the pilgrimage and returned with the feeling that the trip was amply paid for in the seeing 
of so celebrated a picture. 

Among other curiosities there is a Virgin entirely covered with Indian embroidery. The 
organist's place is hereditary in an Indian family, descending from father to son. 

Tzintzuntzan was once the capital of the powerful empire of Tarasco, which successfully 
resisted to the last the incursions of the Montezumas. After the Spanish conquest this was the 
seat of the bishopric of Tarasco, and was held in such high esteem by Philip II. of Spain that 
its cathedral was presented by that puissant monarch with this fine creation of the brush of 
Titian. Its authenticity is unquestionable. The old church is fast crumbling to decay, and its 
pristine glory has departed from it ; yet such is the veneration of the Indians for this beautiful 
painting that the bishop has refused to allow it to be removed. Enormous sums have been 
offered by enthusiastic art-lovers, but the church authorities have declined to entertain them, and 
the picture still hangs where it was first placed by the loving hands of its original owners more 
than three hundred years ago. The old city is now only a little hamlet with a grand old church 



MICHOACAN 



325 



and a great picture. The steamer runs irregularly, but need not be depended upon for the trip 
to Tzintzuntzan. It may be made by canoe, the wide-bottomed boats of the Tarascans, or on 
horseback or burros, in three or four hours. Patzcuaro and the beautiful lake have all the 
attributes of a fine health- and pleasure-resort. In the very near future the American will 
begin to find out why the Indians call it a place of delights. 

At different points on the other side of the lake are other Indian villages, where the life that 
is lived to-day is essentially the same as that of five hundred years ago, and the features of the 
scene at this moment are surely of the ancient world. From all points of the lake more than a 
hundred canoes, or " dug-outs," may be seen moving in converging lines to a point on this shore. 
The modern art of making boats has not influenced the builders of these primitive vessels, 




Cathedral, Morf.lia. 

which are in the shape of a Chinaman's shoe, with the width less in proportion to the length. The 
bottom is flat, and the sides slope inward toward the top. They are propelled by rude paddles, 
which consist of a straight stick with a circular disk, about ten inches in diameter, at the end. 
They are manned by men and women, or by men or women, as it may happen. Three times a 
week they make this trip across the lake, bringing their wares to a common market-place, and 
return late in the afternoon with the produce ot their exchanges. The Avares which they offer 
are such as their ancestors might have brought to market centuries before the conquest. In 
fact, this part of Mexico remains yet to be conquered, if by that term is meant subjected to the 
forces and laws of progressive civilization. And yet it will be but a little while before Lake 
Patzcuaro and its surrounding villages will all be modernized by that greatest civilizer of the 
world — the railroad. 



326 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

Uruapan, farther west, is perhaps the gem of Indian villages. It has a few good houses and 
fine streets ; but its boast is in the Indian cottages, all so clean and snug and tasteful, sur- 
rounded by fruit-trees. To reach it one rides through shady lanes of trees bending under their 
weight of oranges, chirimoyas, plantanos, granaditas, and every other sort of delicious fruit. We 
visited the place under care of a military escort provided by Governor Mercado. The Indians 
here, as all through Michoacan, are Tarascos, — the Otomites and Chichimecs, — and their lan- 
guage is most harmonious. The dress of the Indian women of Uruapan is pretty, and they are 
altogether a clean and good-looking race. They wear nagnas, a. petticoat of black cotton with 
a narrow white and blue stripe, made very full and rather long, and over this a sort of short 
chemise made of coarse white cotton and embroidered in different-colored silks. It is called 
the sutunaciia. Over all is a black rebozo striped with white and blue, with a handsome silk 
fringe of the same colors. When they are married they add a white embroidered veil and a 
remarkably pretty colored mantle, the hucpilli, which they pronounce guipil. The hair is 
divided and falls down behind in two long plaits, fastened at the top by a bow of ribbon and a 
flower. In this dress there is no alteration from what they wore in former days, save that the 
women of a higher class wore a dress of finer cotton Avith more embroidery and a loose gar- 
ment over all, resembling a priest's surplice, when the weather was cold. Among the men, the 
introduction of trousers is Spanish ; but they still wear the inajtlatl, a broad belt with the ends 
tied before and behind, and the tilmatli, or tilma as they now call it, a sort of square short 
cloak, the ends of which are tied across the breast or over one shoulder. It was on a coarse tilma 
of this description that the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe was found painted. In this region 
the finest coftee in the world is raised, the "Uruapan" being everywhere recognized as the 
finest of brands. 

In the environs of this town is the river Marques, amidst a most extraordinary union of 
tropical and European vegetation, — the hills co\'ered with firs and the plains with sugar-cane. 
The river pursues its course through an enchanting- landscape, now falling in cascades, now 
winding placidly at the foot of the silent hills and among the dark woods, and in one part 
forming a most beautiful natural bath by pouring its waters into an enclosure of large smooth 
flat stones overshadowed by noble trees. 

A number of old Inciian customs are still kept up here, modified by the introduction of 
Christian doctrines, in the marriages, feasts, burials, and superstitious practices. The citizens 
also preserve the same simplicity in their dress, united with the same vanity and love of show 
in their ornaments, that always distinguished them. The poorest Indian women still wear 
necklaces of red coral or a dozen rows of red beads, and their dishes are still the jicalli, — or, 
as they were called by the Spaniards, jicaras, — made of a species of gourd, or, rather, a fruit 
resembline it, and orrowincr on a low tree, which fruit thev cut in two, each furnishing two 
dishes. The inside is scooped out, and a durable varnish given it, by means of a mineral earth, 
of different bright colors, generally red. On the outside are painted flowers, and some are 
also gilded. They are extremely pretty, very durable, and ingenious. The beautiful colors 
which are employed in painting these jicaras are composed not only of various mineral produc- 
tions, but of the wood, leaves, and flowers of certain plants, of whose properties these people 
have no despicable knowledge. Their own dresses, manufactured by themselves of cotton, are 
extremely pretty, and many of them fine. 

About six miles from Uruapan are the celebrated Falls of the Sararaqui. At the foot of 
the oak-covered mountain is a great enclosure of lofty rocks, prodigious natural bulwarks, 
through a great cavern in which the river comes thundering and boiling into the valley, forming 



MICHOACAN 



V-1 



the great cascade of the Sararaqui, which in the Tarascan language means sieve. It is a \'ery 
fatiguing descent, but it is worth while to make the whole journey from Mexico to see a sight 
so wildly grand. The falls are from fifty to sixty feet high and of great volume. The rocks are 
covered with shrubs and flowers, with small jets of water issuing from every crevice. 

The Indian cottages are all clean, the walls hung with fresh mats, and the floors covered 
with the same ; their kitchen utensils of baked earth are neatly hung on the wall, from the 
largest size in use to little dishes and jarritos in miniature placed there for ornament. The 
operation of making and painting jicaras is very curious. The flowers are not painted, but 
inlaid, and their like cannot be procured anywhere else. 

There are other Indian villages almost equally interesting, but the more central and impor- 
tant parts of Michoacan are fast becoming civilized. Ouerendaro, on Lake Cuitzeo, is one of 
these places which are passing from the old to 
the new phase. The scenery around this lake 
is extremely lovely. Trees and flowering 
shrubs are plentiful and varied, and one may 
ride for hours with scarcely any fatigue. Blue- 
birds are particiflarly plenty here, and are 
called by the people guarda-bosques, "wood- 
guardians." 

Around Ouerendaro are some fine haci- 
endas, and among those may be found the 
most cordial hospitality in the world. I think 
the Mexican character is never seen to such 
advantage as in the country among these great 
landed proprietors of old family, who live on 
their own estates, engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits, and entirely removed from all the party 
feeling and petty interests of a city life. It is 
true that the life of a country gentleman here 
is that of a hermit, in the total absence of all 
society, in the nearly unbroken solitude that 
surrounds him. For leao^ues and leagues there 
may be no habitation but his own ; the nearest 
village may be distant half a day's journey, 
over an almost impassable road. But he is 
"monarch of all he surveys," a king among his 
farm-servants and Indian workmen. Nothing 
can exceed the independence of his position. To enjoy this wild country-life he must be a first- 
rate horseman and addicted to all kinds of country sports ; and if he can spend the day in 
riding over his estates in directing his workmen, watching over his improvements, and re- 
dressing disputes and grievances, and can sit down in the evening in his large and lonely halls 
and philosophically bury himself in the pages of some favorite author, his time will probably 
not hang heavy on his hands. 

At Ouerendaro a canoe may be hired from the Indians for a voyage across to the Island of 
the Burros, one of the many islands of the lake, and the only one inhabited. The people are 
a hardy, sti'.rdy race ; the men are hunters and fishers, the women have nothing to do but to eat 




An Entrance to the Paseo, Morelia. 



328 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



and sleep and ^row fat, which they have made a complete success of; there are some fine speci- 
mens of almost Amazonian proportions, the finest Indians in Mexico. The lake abounds In 
myriads of water-fowl of every description. 

Near the landing-place of Ouerendaro there are some hot springs, and the water is hot 
enough in the streams that flow from them to cook an ^%%. In scores of places columns of steam 
are risine from the fissures in the o;round, and to walk over or near them is to feel the ground 
sink beneath. In a thicket near the railroad is a most primitive bath. A pit dug in the ground 
near one of the spring-streams is filled with water by damming the little brook, and when full is 
turned back to its own channel again. It must be a spring of wonderful curing waters. On the 





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I, A I-'ZARASAd'A, URUAPAN. 



trees and bushes, in the ground, everywhere near, there are hundreds and hundreds of crosses, 
the thank-o'fferines of those who have bathed and been cured. 

While mining is not the most important interest in Michoacan, still there are many claims 
which have paid well for some time. The Trinidad and Tajo have been worked for more than 
one hundred and fifty years. The Los Llanitos pays well, and the Zinda group, about thirty- 
five miles from Morelia, gives excellent prospects. The best known mining-camps are the 
Curucupaceo in the district of Morelia, those in the district of Tlalpujahua, and those of In- 
quiran in the district of Tacambaro. Perhaps the mines most familiar to residents of the city 
of Mexico are El Oro, which is now in bonanza, La Borda y Anexas (from which eight millions 
have been taken), Seis Senores, Santa Rosa, and La Concepcion. 

More important, however, in the mineral wealth of Michoacan is the copper that is found 
in large nuggets, some of which are exhibited weighing at least thirty pounds. At Santa Clara 



MICHOACAN 



del Cobre, ten miles from Patzcuaro, one may see cooking utensils in common use whose shape 
indicates that the copper in that region was worked by the Tarascans. With a copper smelter 
in the city of Morelia the copper interest of the state would be on a splendid footing. There 
can be no question- that the prospect is a magnificent one, and would be still more so if there 
were railroad communication with Patzcuaro, or if there were steamboats on the Balsas River. 
It is certain that there are large deposits of high-grade copper ore in the southwestern parts of 
the state, and Oropeo and Churumuco are specially named. There are both copper and cinna- 
bar in Pungarabato, which is in the extreme southeast and lies upon that part of the Balsas 
which is called the Mexicala. 

Finally, there are ores of galena in the districts of Zinepecuaro and Huetamo. 

The schools of Michoacan are excellent, those of Morelia being of very high standing. 
The Industrial and Military School, named for Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico, is a very fine 
institution, as is also the Normal Training-School for Girls. The San Nicolas College is a very 
old institution, which is the pride of the city and one of the centres of higher education in the 
Mexican republic. 

This state is most fortunate in having as its governor Senor Don Aristeo Mercado, who is 
a man too great for petty rivalry and too clear-headed not to appreciate the value of what has 
already been done in Michoacan. He is a man of original ideas, with the courage and ability 
to carry them out ; the result is seen in the admirable condition of the state, the high standing 
of the public schools, and the progressive spirit of the people. 



330 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XXXVIII 



GUERRERO 



^^P^fcr HE state of Guerrero has enormous possibilities of wealth, and is destined to 

m 1 play an important part in Mexico's future financial resources and developments. 

^ 1 y It lies on the southern coast, bordering on the Pacific coast, between Michoacan 

^^H^ and Oaxaca, with Mexico and Puebla to the north. Guerrero was not a state 

until 1849, when three districts taken from Mexico, two from Puebla, and one 

from Michoacan were put together to form it. It has an area of twenty-four thousand two 

hundred and twenty-six square miles, and a 
very large Indian population, although, as in 
most parts of Me.xico, the whites are increasing 
very rapidly. 

The state was named in honor of Vicente 
Guerrero, who was born at Tixtla about 1770, 
and executed at Cailapa, February 14, 1831. 
Guerrero was a mulatto and originally a slave. 
In the struggle for the independence of Mexico 
he exhibited great courage, and after the death 
of Mina became one of the leaders of the 
insurgents. In 1820 he entered the service of 
Iturbide, upon whose overthrow in 1823 he 
gave in his adherence to the provisional govern- 
ment and to the republic. In 1827 he was a 
candidate for the presidency, but was defeated 
by Pedraza by a majority of two votes in the 
electoral college. The partisans of Guerrero 
alleged that the election was carried by fraud, 
and rose in insurrection. Pedraza resigned in 
1829, and Guerrero took possession of the 
presidency. On September 15 of that year he 
issued a proclamation abolishing slavery. The 
next year a Spanish force invaded Mexico, 
whereupon dictatorial power was conferred 
upon Guerrero, and his troops under Santa 
Anna defeated the Spaniards ; but soon afterwards Bustamente and Santa Anna, on pretence 
that he ought not to have prolonged his dictatorship after the defeat of the Spaniards, revolted 
against Guerrero, who was deserted by his troops and compelled to take refuge in his hacienda 




Senor Coronei. Antonio Mercenario, 
Governor of Guerrero. 



GUERRERO 



00' 



at Tixtla. He was popular, and the people rallied to his support. He renewed the contest, 
but it was brought to a sudden close through the agency of a Genoese ship-captain, who in\ited 
him to a dinner on board his vessel at Acapulco and betrayed him to his enemies. He was 
tried by a military commission and shot. And thus perished another native hero of Me.xico. 

The state of Guerrero is traversed by the Sierra Madre with its many spurs, and is con- 
sequently very mountainous, its climate varying with the elevation, from \-er)" hot in the low 
countries to cold in the higher 

o 

portions. The chief river is the 
Rio de las Balsas, which rises 
in Tlaxcala and, flowing south- 
west, finally forms the dividing 
line with Michoacan. There 
are great mining possibilities 
in Guerrero, some of which are 
already being developed. Both 
silver and gold abound, the 
mines of San Jose and Piedras 
Blancas being among the most 
important. Cinnabar is abun- 
dant elsewhere, as are likewise 
lead, sulphur, saltpetre, and cop- 
peras ; and anthracite is found 
in Chilpancingo. The soil is 
very fertile ; vegetation, par- 
ticularly arboreal, is rich and 
varied, and there are extensive 
virgin forests, containing excel- 
lent timber and many species of precious woods. Maize and beans are the chief agricultural 
productions, the former yielding three large crops annually. Cotton, sugar-cane, coffee, cacao, 
yucca, and tobacco are also cultivated, and cochineal and indigo are extensively produced. 
Agriculture is, however, little attended to, save in the central portions of the state. The chief 
articles of export are cochineal, indigo, cacao, wool, and hides ; the imports consist ot cotton 
and silk fabrics, spices, and hardware. The foreign trade, once ver)' important, is carried on 
through the port of Acapulco. Manufactures are limited to coarse cotton and woollen stuffs, 
rude agricultural implements, and household utensils. Many of the inhabitants are miners, 
and on the coasts numbers are engaged in pearl-fishing. 

The first capital of Guerrero was Tixtla, which on its selection in 1849 '^^'a-S immediately 
raised to the rank of a city. It is picturesquely situated in a narrow gorge of the Sierra Madre, 
but has not yet become of great importance in any respect. It is five thousand feet above 
sea-level, and its chief occupations are coarse manufactures and agriculture. 

The present capital is Chilpancingo, a few miles southwest of Tixtla, and situated on a 
pleasant table-land on the western side of the mountain-range. 

Acapulco is, perhaps, the most important town in Guerrero, as it has one of the best har- 
bors on the entire west coast. During the Spanish dominion Acapulco was the focus of the 
China and East Indian trade, and was a place of considerable importance. The California 
trade later gave it a period of transitory commercial life, as it was a coaling station for steamers 




In Tixtla, Guerrero. 



332 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



between Panama and San Francisco ; but with the new railroad now in process of construction, 
Acapulco is destined to see greater days than ever. The region around Acapulco produces the 
best lemons In the world, the fruit being large and juicy and far more desirable than either the 
Californian or the Sicilian product. As soon as the railway is completed from Cuernavaca, the 
way will be opened for marketing this product in New York and other ports, when the lemon 

industry is likely to blossom out 
into the greatest agricultural one 
of Guerrero. 

This new railroad, " The 
Mexico, Cuernavaca and Pa- 
cific," is a line that is to g-ive 
Mexico standard gfau^e connec- 
tion with the old and historic 
port of Acapulco, whither came 
once the richly freighted galleons 
of Spanish commerce from China 
and Japan. In this connection 
it is worthy of note that the first 
fair and equitable treaty with 
Japan in modern times was 
made by Mexico. This new 
line pushing on to the Pacific, 
C. P. Huntington's In Northern 
Mexico and Colonel Joe Hamp- 
son's in Central Mexico, will 
enable Mexican manufacturers, working on a silver basis, to reach out for the west coast trade 
of South America. It Is believed that the Mexico, Cuernavaca and Pacific road will open up ex- 
tensive coal-fields and gold-mines in the state of Guerrero, cheapening fuel over a large region, 
and that eventually steamships from the Orient will touch at the piers of the Mexico, Cuerna- 
vaca and Pacific Railway at Acapulco. This port of Mexico presents an enormous field for 
Investment. The day is not far distant when millions of American dollars will find their way 
there to be utilized. Guerrero Is at present practically an unknown land, but for the man with 
a little capital at his disposal It presents a great future. 

M. Le Royal, a French engineer staying in Mexico, reports that he has discovered a cave 
In the district of Guerrero which is much larger than the famous cavern of Cacahuamllpa, situ- 
ated some distance south of Cuernavaca, a description of which is given in the next few pages, 
and which has hitherto been supposed to be the largest natural cave in existence In Mexico. The 
French engineer, after a few visits to the entrance, decided to make a thorough Investigation. 
Accordingly he took five companions, candles, food for twenty-four hours, magnesium light, 
barometer, compass, etc., and set forth. It was not so easy a task as he had imagined, how- 
ever, to find the end of the cave. At first the bottom of the cave was a gradual slope down- 
ward, then it changed upward, and afterward alternated for the most part between descents 
and ascents. Here and there a level bottom of great width was found. The height of the 
cave varied very much, as might naturally be expected. In some places It was several hundred 
feet high. For some distance from the entrance no trace of human beings was found, but occa- 
sionally magnificent stalactites and stalagmites — the finest M. Royal had ever seen — were met 




Chilpancingo, the Capital of Guerrero. 



GUERRERO 



III 



with. After proceeding for ten miles he came upon what had evidently been a cemetery, as 
there were at least four hundred petrified bodies there, together with ancient idols, stone tools, 
etc. Curiously enough, there was also a fountain of beautiful, clear, sparkling water. The 
aneroid barometer showed that this spot was six hundred feet lower than the mouth of the cave. 
M. Royal and his men went inward some twenty miles and then did not find the end ; on the 
contrary, he concluded that the end of the cave was yet some distance from him. Finally, after 
being twenty-six hours under ground, the company found themselves under the blue sky. What 
possibilities of conjecture this cave calls up ! Was there once a people there, who buried their 
dead in this immense cavern ? Was it a prison-house ? The ancient Toltecs and Chichimecs 
must have made use of it for something, but what ? And now, late in the nineteenth century, 
this old cave with its hundreds of petrified bodies was lighted up for the first time in ages. 




Palace, Chilpancingo. 



A discovery of great archeeological value and importance has also been made in Guerrero 
by Mr. William Niven, a well-known mineralogist of New York City. 

Mr. Niven is a life-member of the American Society of National History, and owner of 
the Rose Garnet quarries near Cautla, Morelos. While on a prospecting tour in 1894 he dis- 
covered a great and unknown prehistoric city in the mountains northwest of Chilpancingo. 

The ruins are even more numerous than he had at first supposed, and cover an area of 
ten leagues square, or nine hundred square miles ; he found in every foot-hill and mountain-ridge 
the remains of houses and great buildings. In most instances these prehistoric structures were 
little more than foundations, but many of the walls are standing from three to eight feet high 
and all substantially built of stone and lime. Mr. Niven has visited the ruins of twenty-two 



334 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



temples, occupying a space averaging six hundred square feet each, with altars in the centre 
from five to twenty feet high and from ten to fifteen feet square. 

At Ouechomictlipan (Aztec for "what a quantity of bones on top") he found that the 
building-stone in some of the edifices had been carefully cut of equal dimensions ; and while 
excavating in one of these rooms great quantities of bones of animals were secured. This 
room proved to be a circular chamber, or tower, about twelve feet in diameter, which 
was filled with dust and broken plaster. On the floor, which was also of plaster, there were 
large quantities of stone beads and many very curious and Interesting objects, with great 
abundance of broken pottery, metals, etc. Excavations at Jabalin revealed plastered walls 
and a great quantity of broken pottery. The walls of the temple at Yerba Buena are in some 

places eight feet high, and the 
altar is twelve feet high, with 
parts of the stairs still remain- 
ing. Here were also found 
many objects of terra-cotta. 
Photographs were made of a 
stone in hieroglyphics a short 
distance from Xoquiapan, and 
on the top of a hill were the 
ruins of a temple, with the 
usual altar in the centre. At 
Organos the ruins were almost 
entirely under ground. An ex- 
cavation was made into one, 
and at ten feet the foundation 
of the walls was not reached. 
Three chambers were partly 
cleared out, and they were 
found to be filled with clay, 
ashes, and broken pottery. 
Another temple was found near 
there, at a place called Tejas, with more subterranean dwellings. One large cut stone at 
Xochocolzin, seven feet long by two feet wide, had a figure of an idol carved on one side, with 
head-dress complete. About eight hundred yards west of the summit of the hill were two 
large idols, one weighing about five hundred pounds. At Yexcal the buildings were all under 
ground, and near the roof of one were twelve prepared stones of the shape and size of a sugar- 
loaf built into the walls, placed side by side, with their broad ends projecting. On the summit 
ol the Cerro Porterrio, as well as at Chalchintepetl, there are what appear to be great pyramids 
over sixty feet high. 

Perhaps the most remarkable find was made at a place called Guaybo. Here were the 
ruins of a temple six hundred feet by two hundred feet. At the depth of nine feet from the 
surface, under the altar, an olla of terra-cotta was discovered filled with dirt, secreted in which 
were seventy-two beautiful objects of mother-of-pearl. Four were carved heads with a pecu- 
liarly shaped head-dress, and the others were carved representations of fish, etc. To reach the 
ruined city one must go over the route of the new railroad to Acapulco. 

The governor of Guerrero, Seiior Coronel Antonio Mercenario, is doing everything in his 



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Temple at Quechomictlipan, Omitlan. 



GUERRERO 



335 



power to further the interests of his state and so to develop its resources as to brin.^ it to 
the front rank ui the Mexican republic. The people of Guerrero are wide awake and earnestly 




Girls' College, Chilpancingo. 



desirous of keeping abreast with modern progress, and in this laudable purpose they are led 
by their valiant Governor Mercenario. 




336 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XXXIX 



MORELOS 



and 



IS 



^^TV^^ UCH larger in the old days was the state of Morelos, which yielded up a part 
V 1 1 ■ of its borders to Guerrero ; but, in turn, the state was once a part of the 
% ^^k W state of Mexico. It is now a very small state, with an area of only eighteen 
fc^ ■ ■ i^^ hundred and eighty-seven square miles, but it has a large and rapidly in- 
creasing population and is a perfect garden of beauty. It is very mountainous, 
a part of the central table-land, with an elevation of four thousand five hundred 

feet above the sea. Popocatepetl, that most 
beautiful of volcanoes, is on the northeastern 
boundary, and there are other high peaks ; but 
between them are most beautiful valleys of 
remarkable fertility, and these are being culti- 
vated by enterprising Americans as well as 
Mexicans, and offer the best possible field for 
Northern men. 

Numerous streams water the plains, the 
most important of w^hich are the Cuernavaca 
and the Cuautla, tributaries of the Amacusaque. 
This is the greatest sugar-cane-producing state 
in proportion to its area, and immense gardens 
are laid out everywhere for the cultivation of 
exquisite fruits. Enormous quantities of sugar 
and molasses are made. 

Of the thousands of tourists who yearly 
visit the city of Mexico, few now fail to make 
a trip up to the summit of the Mexico and 
Cuernavaca road as it crosses the lofty sierra. 
From the train, as it winds up the mountains, 
one gets a wonderful panorama of the valley 
of Mexico, seven thousand square miles in 
extent, guarded by its snow-capped sentinel 
volcanoes, a panorama of unsurpassed beauty 
and grandeur. Once upon the plains of 
Ajusco, over nine thousand feet above sea- 
level, you are in a region of pine-trees and potato-fields. But go on a few miles, and, looking 
from the cars, your gaze is fixed on another vast valley, that of the state of Morelos, the 




Senor Coronel Manuel AlArcon, 

Governor of the State of Morfxos. 



338 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



richest sugar-growing region in Mexico. You look down from the pine-clad uplands, says 
one writer, " into a region of palms and tropical vegetation, and the ancient city of Cuerna- 

vaca seems to be riding out on an ocean of 
green sugar-cane. And yet the half has never 
been told." 

Poets have sung- of nature's enchanting 
loveliness and beauty bordering the right of 
way of this great scenic line ; orators have 
painted word-pictures of the beauties of its 
travel which charm the senses with unspeak- 
able variety ; writers have crowded glowing 
words into most befittino- rhetorical effects ; 
and yet, Avith all this combination of effort 
and intelligent description, to know, to un- 
derstand, to appreciate, and fully to realize 
and enjoy the picturesque views, one must 
see them. Born with an indomitable will and intelligence. Colonel J. H. Hampson has 
written the realization of another of his great railway projects and public benefactions in 
letters of railway-steel along mountain-sides and rugged ways, and the Mexico, Cuerna- 
vaca and Pacific Railway is, and will ever be, a lasting monument to his energy and 




Aztec Monolith, Cuernavaca 



genius. 



There are many mines in operation in Morelos, silver, gold, cinnabar, lead, chalk, and 
kaolin all being found in abundance on her mountains. 

Morelos is divided into five districts, and the chief towns are Cuernavaca, the capital, 
Cuautla de Morelos, Yautepec, 
Jonacatepec, and Tete-Cola. 

Cuernavaca has an ideal 
climate, dry and uniform, and 
the air is delicious. Among its 
chief attractions are the ancient 
palace of Cortez and the famous 
garden of La Borda, on -which 

o 

over a million dollars were lav- 
ished. Maximilian, Avhen em- 
peror, had his winter home in 
Cuernavaca, as had Cortez long 
before. The former lived for a 
time on the. La Borda estate, 
and Carlotta and the emperor 
breakfasted under its trees and 
spent long days in the great 
walled garden. The empress 
used to go about the street like 
a young girl, attended by a 
single maid of honor, her head covered with a silk rebozo. Maximilian also took a small 
country house outside the town, which still stands, and dwelt^there some months. 




A Bridge built by Cortez in Morelos. 



MOREL OS 339 

Cuernavaca is situated at the foot of the southern slope of Ajusco, where the cold storms 
which sweep the gulf coast in winter can hardly gain access ; hence it enjoys the perfection of 
a winter climate. Fields of tender vegetables planted in November for fruiting in winter attest 
the absence of frost. Its summer climate is also aoreeable, for its elevation of five thousand 

o 

feet above sea-level precludes oppressive heat. Moreover, the rain is said to fall here mostly 
by night. From this point one has a nearer view than from the city of Mexico of the great 
snowy summits rising above forested slopes, and here the interest of the view is greatly 
enhanced by the striking contrast afforded by an intermediate range of bare red rock, dis- 
ordered masses, serrated, castellated, and pinnacled beyond description. Above and about 
the town the mountain-side is furrowed by many ravines so deep as to receive the name of 




Palace of Cortez, Cuernavaca. 



barrancas. Below the town these open out into a wide valley which is green throughout the 
year with plantations of cane. Streams of pure water course down through every street, and 
fountains are frequent. To this quaint and quiet town, verdant and shady under bright, warm 
skies, was attracted the ill-fated Maximilian, and hither he was wont to ride by night to hide 
from assassins in the thick wood of his high-walled garden. The several barrancas of this 
neighborhood, with their brooks and waterfalls, their thickets of shrubs, their cliffs and bluffs, 
shaded or exposed, dry or wet, and the swamjoy meadows at their bottoms, offer a prospect for 
the tourist seldom excelled. The mountain woods more distant are hardly less inviting. The 
character of its plants indicates that this region belongs to the same floral zone as Oaxaca and 
Guadalajara. As a health-resort, a place to restore weak lungs and to rest weary nerves, Cuer- 
navaca has no superior. 



340 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Cuernavaca (cow's horn), the ancient Ouauhnahuac, was one of the thirty cities which 
Charles the Fifth gave to Cortez, and afterward formed part of the estate of the Duke of 
Monteleon, representative of the family of Cortez, as Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca. It 
was celebrated by the ancient writers for its beauty, its delightful climate, and the strength of 

its situation ; defended on one 
side by steep mountains, and 
on the other by a precipitous 
ravine through which ran a 
stream which the Spaniards 
crossed by means of two great 
trees that had thrown their 
branches across the barranca 
and formed a natural bridge. It 
was the capital of the Tlahuica 
nation, and after the conquest 
Cortez built a splendid palace, 
a church, and a convent of Fran- 
ciscans, believing that he was 
laying the foundation of a great 
city. And, in fact, its delicious 
climate, the abundance of the 
water, the minerals said to exist 
in the neighborhood, its fine 
trees, its luscious fruits, and its 
vicinity to the capital combined 
to strengthen this belief The 
conqueror's palace is now a half- 
ruined barrack, thouoh a most 
picturesque object, standing on 
a hill, behind which starts up 
the great white volcano. There 
are some good houses and the 
remains of the church which 
Cortez built, celebrated for its 
fine arch. 

It would be difficult to 
imagine anything more pictu- 
resque than the coffee planta- 
tions and orange walks. In this 
region the orange-trees are cov- 
ered with their golden fruit and 
fragrant blossoms ; the lemon- 
trees bend over, forming a natural arch which the sun cannot pierce ; the air is soft and balmy 
and actually heavy with the fragrance of the orange-blossom and the starry jasmine. All 
round the orchard are streams of the most delicious clear water, and now and then a little 
cardinal, like a bright red ruby, perches on the trees. One may pick orange-blossoms, 




Cascade of San Antonio. 



MO RE LOS 



541 



jasmine, lilies, double red roses, and lemon-leaves at the very moment when Winter is wrapping 
the world in his white winding-sheet in the United States. 

o 

The cave of Cacahuamilpa, whose wonders equal the descriptions of the palaces of the genii, 
was until the present century known to the Indians alone, or if the Spaniards formerly knew 
anything about it, its existence had been forgotten among them. But although in former days 
it may have been used as a place of worship, a superstitious fear prevented the more modern 
Indians from exploring its recesses, for they firmly believed the evil spirit had his dwelling there, 
and in the form of a goat, with long beard and horns, guarded the entrance of the cavern. 
The few who ventured and beheld this apparition brought back strange tales to their credulous 
companions, and even the neighborhood of the enchanted cave was avoided, especially at night- 




FiELD OF Rice in Morelos. 



fall. The chain of mountains into whose bosom it leads is bleak and bare, but the ravine 
below is refreshed by a rapid stream that forms small waterfalls as it tumbles o\'er the rocks, 
and is bordered by green and flowering trees. Among these is one with a smooth, satin-like 
bark of a pale golden color, whose roots have something uncanny and witch-like in their appear- 
ance, intertwining with each other, grappling as it were with the hard rock, and stretching out 
to the most extraordinary distance. The entrance to the cave is a superb portal, upward of 
seventy feet high and one hundred and fifty feet wide, according to the computation of a learned 
traveller ; the rocks which support the great arch are so symmetrically disposed as to resemble 
a work of art. Dowm a declivity, it may be one hundred and fifty feet, surrounded by blocks 
of stone and rock, is a gloomy subterranean palace, surrounded by the most extraordinary, 
gigantic, and mysterious forms, which it is scarcely possible to believe are the fantastic produc- 



MOREL OS 



343 



tions of the water which constantly trickles from the roof The vast labyrinth is indescribable. 
It is said that the first sala is about two hundred feet long, one hundred and seventy wide, 
and one hundred and fifty in height. The walls are shaded with different tints of green and 
orange ; great sheets of stalactites hang from the roof and white phantoms, palm-trees, lofty 
pillars, pyramids, porches, and a thousand other illusions, are on all sides. (3ne figure, concern- 
ing which ail agree, is a long-haired goat, the evil one in that form. But some one has broken 
the head, perhaps to show the powerlessness of the enchanted guardian of the cave. In the 
second sala the architecture is decidedly Egyptian, and the strange forms of the animals 
resemble those of the uncouth Egyptian idols. These, with the pyramids and obelisks, indi- 
cate that perhaps the ancient people took the idea of their architecture from some natural 
cave of this description, just as nature suggested the idea of the beautiful Corinthian pillar. 
Again, it seems to be a tract of petrified country. Fountains of congealed water, trees hung 
with frozen moss, pillars covered with gigantic acanthus leaves, pyramids ninety feet high, look 
like works of the pre-Adamites, yet no being but He who inhabits eternity could have created 
them. The second hall may be nearly four hundred feet in length. But why go on ? It is said 
that this cavern has been explored for four leagues, and yet that no exit has been discovered. 
The skeleton of a man was once discovered by some travellers, lying on his side, the head 
nearly covered with crystallization. He had probably entered these labyrinths alone, either from 
rash curiosity of to escape from pursuit, lost his way, and perished from hunger. Indeed, to find 
the way back to the entrance of the cave is nearly impossible without some clue to guide the 
steps among these winding gal- 
leries, halls and issues, and 
entries, and divided corridors. 

Among the celebrated 
Humboldt pictographs are some 
very interesting ones which are 
supposed to be relics of this 
region. These documents may 
have been a record of the 
methods of the early Franciscan 
missionaries, and were presented 
early in the nineteenth century 
to the Royal Library at Berlin 
by Baron Humboldt. 

The pictographs consist of 
fourteen pieces, of different sizes 
and widely varying contents. 
One entire document and the 
frag-ment of another belone to 
a period prior to the conquest. 
The former is a schedule of tributes paid to a certain temple. There is nothing to show what 
or where the temple was, but it probably belonged to a tribe inhabiting the state of Morelos. 
The tributes consisted of blankets, gold in plates and in dust, etc. The blankets may have 
been for the personal use of the priests of the temple, but not necessarily so, for blankets, like 
other articles in general use, were eagerly sought after as a species of money, or, in other words, 
as instruments of barter or exchange. 




Plaza, Cuernavaca. 



344 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Cuautla de Morelos has been the theatre of important historical events. Here it was that 
the curate Morelos shut himself up with his troops until the Spaniards under Calleja besieged 
it and the priest and his party were compelled to abandon their position. 

The state of Morelos has already thousands of bright, clever, pushing Americans and 
Englishmen engaged in active endeavor. All through the hot country one finds them growing 
cane, maturing their coffee-trees or gathering their fruit, raising maize and bananas, and leading 
the independent lives of small planters and cultivators, their manual labor being done for them 




Field of Sugar-Cane in Morelos. 

by the native Indian. One could easily enumerate scores of men who took only a few thousand 
dollars to start with, some less, who are now on the way to wealth, and not a few who are very 
substantial people indeed. 

Cuernavaca is the home of Mr. J. Hamer, at whose factories in the city of Mexico a prac- 
tical test is being made of successfully spinning the native flax and manufacturing linen cloths 
of all kinds. We visited this flax-factory and the residence of Mr. Hamer ; and in this connec- 
tion might say that we made the entire trip through Mexico in beautiful linen travelling costumes 
which were woven at this factory. While there we had the opportunity of meeting Governor 
Alarcon and his newly wedded bride, finding them both among the most charming people in 
Mexico. 

Although Morelos is the smallest state in Mexico, it certainly equals in importance even 
the greatest. In Governor Manuel Alarcon it has an executive head fitted to carry its industrial 
and its native wealth to a fitting climax, and make the region named after that noble patriot 
Morelos one of the most progressive spots, as it is one of the most beautiful, in the world. 



CHIAPAS 



545 



CHAPTER XL 



CHIAPAS 



CHIAPAS is the most southern state in the Mexican republic, and presents an ahnost 
virgin field of unsurpassed natural resources. It is bounded on the north by the 
state of Tabasco, which separates it from the Gulf of Mexico, on the east by the 
republic of Guatemala, on the south by the Pacific Ocean, and on the west by 
the states of Vera Cruz and Oaxaca. The Sierra Madre mountains run almost 
parallel with the Pacific Ocean in their course through the state, there being between the two a 
stretch of level land which is uncommonly 
fertile, including the districts of Soconusco 
and Tonala. North of these mountains, and 
exactly in the central section of the state, 
there are also fertile plains in the districts of 
La Libertad, Chiapa, and Tuxtla, and in 
Comitan alongf the Guatemalan frontier ; and, 
finally, along the boundary of Tabasco are 
situated the humid forest-plains of the dis- 
tricts of Pichucalco and Palenque. From the 
southern limits of these two districts and 
toward the centre of the state the mountain- 
slopes begin to rise, finding their extreme 
height in the district of Las Casas, whose 
county-seat is more than seven thousand feet 
above sea-level ; but the coast range in its 
descent to the sea slopes more abruptly. In 
the districts of Mezcalapa, Pichucalco, Simo- 
jovel, Chilon, Comitan, and Palenque the 
landscape presents a picturesque undulating 
country, with ridges of mountains of mod- 
lerate altitude, and ti'a versed by numerous 
navigable streams, such as the Grijalva, 
Mezcalapa, Tapijulapa, El Salto, and L^suma- 
cinta. The number of rivers of lesser im- 
portance is very considerable, and Chiapas 
may be counted among the best watered states of Mexico. As there are no really low or 
swampy districts, the climate is healthy, and it is generally tempered by prevailing breezes from 
the gulf and the Pacific Ocean, which supply the atmospheric moisture favorable to plant life 
and give abundant rainfall. 




Senor Coronel Francisco Leon, 

Governor of Chiapas. 



546 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



The general aspect of the country is very unlike that of Northern Mexico. Chiapas has 
no barren country except in the very highest parts of its mountains, the medium and lower 
regions generally being covered by forests of valuable woods, while its cultivated parts show 
fields of all kinds and abundance of crops. 

Lake Tepancuapan, in the southern part, is eighteen miles long and three miles wide, 
and abounds in crabs. There are several smaller lakes in the state. 

It is a mistake to assume that all of Chiapas is mountainous, and hence inaccessible. 
Through the ports of Tonala and San Benito on the Pacific the rich districts of Tonala and 
Soconusco can be reached, and from the former port the towns of Tuxtla, Chiapa, and San 
Cristobal are accessible by means of a good wagon-road. Six water-ways give access through 





B'T ' rT .^_ iT ^ tr ttujujM ' . -sgrT. -..^--.. l iiju— i i iii m i iiMri H ^H H B 





Palace, Chiapas. 

the gulf to the districts of Mezcalapa, Pichucalco, Simojovel, and Palenque. Ascending the 
Grijalva River, in Tabasco, and following the Mezcalapa, the districts of Mezcalapa and Tuxtla 
are reached ; the district of Pichucalco is reached by the river Blanquillo, Simojovel by the 
Tapijulapa, and Palenque by the rivers Tulija and Chacamas. Palenque is also accessible from 
Lake Terminos by ascending the rivers Palizada and Usumacinta into Lake Catazaja to the 
town of Catazaja. The Mezcalapa is navigable ior low-draught boats up to within twenty- 
four Mexican leagues from Tuxtla-Gutierrez, the capital of the state. The department of 
Comitan is not easily reached by either the gulf or the Pacific Ocean, but its proximity to 
Guatemala offers great advantages for the exportation of its products to that country, which 
will always contribute to the enrichment of the inhabitants. The road to Guatemala is hilly, 
but is in fit condition for travelling. The Tehuantepec National Railway has opened new and 



CHIAPAS 



347 



advantageous means of egress to the state. By taking the train at Coatzacoalcos, the railroad's 
terminus on the Mexican Gulf, or at Salina Cruz, its terminus on the Pacific Ocean, San Gero- 
nmio station is reached, from which place a good wagon-road leads to the capital city. 

Chiapas has over three hundred thousand inhabitants ; the majority of them are Indians. 
They are of a peaceful disposition, and there are among them tribes which are intellioent 
and highly civilized, as may be seen in Tuxda, Ocosocuauda, Copainala, and other places. 
The inhabitants of Chiapas are remarkable for their hospitality. Foreigners are well re- 
ceived, and no distincdon is made on account of nationality. The nece^ssaries of life are 
generally cheap and excellent. There are schools distributed throughout the state accordino- 
td the size of the towns. In *' 

the cities of San Cristobal, 
Comitan, and Tuxtla there are 
high schools for girls, supported 
by the city and state govern- 
ments, and under the o-uardian- 

o 

ship of the latter government. 
In Tuxda and San Cristobal 
there are preparatory schools 
where students receive prelim- 
inary instruction for any pro- 
fessional college of the federal 
government. 

Commerce is the most de- 
veloped of the resources of Chi- 
apas. Tonala and Soconusco 
supply themselves through their 
ports ; Pichucalco and Palenque 
are supplied from San Juan 
Baudsta ; the remainino- de- 

o 

partments do their trading for 
foreign products with Tuxda, which is the commercial metropolis of the state, and here capital 
and wealth have concentrated themselves. Trade in Chiapas is suscepdble of great possibilides. 
Agriculture is in its infancy, but will be the means of adding materially to the wealth of 
the state. Coffee, which has been cultivated for some years, is gready enriching some of the 
departments. Soconusco has two million cofTee-trees, Tuxtla about one million, Mezcalapa five 
hundred thousand, the other departments one million, making a total of four million five hun- 
dred thousand, one million of which are in production, and the remainder will be bearing inside 
of two years. There are several sugar-cane plantations, and in Simojovel some interest "is taken 
in tobacco culture. 

Coffee is considered die best paying product of Chiapas. In a hectare (2.471 1 acres) of 
land nine hundred trees are planted. It is not advisable to increase the number, as is done in 
the other states, on account of the extraordinary growth of the tree in Chiapas. The minimum 
product of a tree in full bearing is two pounds of dry coffee ; many plantations produce on an 
average three, four, and five pounds to the tree. Trees are found in Simojo\-el and Chilon that 
bear twenty pounds, and there is one particular tree in Tuxtla, on the Mezcalapa Ri\'er, forty 
years old, that yields forty pounds ; but of course these are isolated cases. 




Between Ortega and La Puerta. 



348 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

The cacao- or chocolate-tree can be planted also, nine hundred to the hectare. Each tree 
produces half a pound of seed a year, and begins to yield after five years' cultivation. The 
advantage that cacao has over coffee is that its crops can be gathered four times a year. In the 
city of Mexico and other interior towns cacao is worth from fifty cents to one dollar a pound. 

Tobacco can be harvested six months after planting. The best tobacco-lands are situated 
in Simojovel, Mezcalapa, and Matastepec, in Tonala. 

In the lands best adapted for the cultivation of sugar-cane the cost of production does 
not exceed twenty-five cents per arroba of twenty-five pounds, and this could be much reduced 
by using modern appliances, as yet unknown in Chiapas. The fine sugar-lands of Chilon, 
Palenque, Pichucalco, and Mezcalapa require no irrigation, and the plantations last twenty years 
without replanting. 

The cultivation of the rubber-tree is known to be very lucrative. It is found wild in Mez- 
calapa, Tuxtla, and Soconusco ; only in the latter district has it been cultivated. 

Vanilla is found wild in Tuxtla and Mezcalapa, where good-sized plantations could be 
established in connection with rubber-growing. In a few years such experiments would yield 
profitable results. 

In all the departments where the climate is warm the tropical fruits, such as pineapples, 
bananas of various kinds and of excellent quality, lemons, oranges, mangos, and zapotes, are 
raised. The traffic in semi-tropical fruits obtainable in Las Casas is in itself the way to a fortune, 
for these fruits sell well in the state, in Tabasco, and along the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 

The production of cereals is abundant, and in some sections corn yields four hundred for 
one. The ears of corn raised in Juncana (Comitan) very often exceed twenty Mexican inches 
in length. Wiieat, which can be raised on a large scale in Las Casas, is sold for a good price 
throughout the state. 

Cattle-raising is one of the best enterprises in Chiapas, on account of the splendid pasture- 
lands. 

Mining is a new industry in the state. The gold-mine of Santa Fe in Pichucalco is worked 
with good financial success ; other mines have been discovered and gradually developed. 
Those in Motozintla (Comitan) and several others in Tuxtla and Chiapa demonstrate the fact 
that the state is wealthy in minerals. 

Other exportable articles are the skins of crocodiles caught in the rivers and lakes of 
Palenque and Tonala. In the same district herons are numerous, the feathers of which have 
been sold as high as forty-eight dollars gold per ounce. Notwithstanding the extensive expor- 
tation of cedar and mahogany, there are yet many unexplored forests of this fine timber. 

Good land can be had in any of the districts, the prices varying according to the kind 
of land, accessibility, and location. Waste lands belonging to the federation are obtained by 
denouncement before the resident agent of the Departm_ent of Encouragement (Fomento). 

Of all the states in the Mexican federation, Chiapas has the least burdensome system of 
taxation. Improved farms pay six dollars taxes for every thousand dollars of assessed valuation. 
The law exempts from taxation all kinds of buildings, machinery, unproductive plantations, and 
breeding animals imported from foreign countries to improve the stock. City property pays no 
taxes to the state, but the municipalities or cities collect six-tenths per cent, on very low assess- 
ments. Twenty thousand dollars tax is imposed on all the merchants doing business in the 
state, the pro rata being adjusted by the assessment boards. Freighters in making use of the 
highways pay a road tax. On the amounts collected for state and city taxes the federal govern- 
ment imposes an extra tax of thirty per cent. 



CHIAPAS 



349 



The district of Palenque is located in tlie descent wliicli the Sierra Madre mountains malce 
on their extension toward the northern part of the state, and covers a great portion of the plains 
that stretch out to Tabasco and Campeche. The country consists of high and low lands : the 
former are the extension of the rich coffee-belt of Simojovel, but more fertile in this section ; 
the lowlands do not inundate, are higher, of better quality, and their climate less hot, than those 
of Tabasco. El Salto, head-quarters for the department officials, is situated at the head of 
navigation of the Tulija river. Catazaja, on Lake Catazaja, is probably the most important 
city. Whilst crocodiles have been almost annihilated in Tabasco by killing them to export the 
hides, they abound in the lakes and rivers of Palenque. In like manner herons are plentiful, 
and their fine feathers have reached a very high price. 

Near the town of Palenque are the famous ruins of that name. They were discovered by 
the Spaniards in 1750, but no one knows what they were originally intended for or by whom 
they were built. They consist 
of artificial terraces, or terraced 
truncated pyramids, of cut stone. 
They are surrounded by edifices 
of elaborate plan, covered with 
hieroglyphics and bearing evi- 
dences of having once been 
painted in bright colors. The 
principal structure, called the 
palace, is built upon a truncated 
pyramid three hundred and ten 
feet long. The palace itself is 
two hundred and twenty-eight 
feet long and twenty-five feet 
higfh. It is built of cut stones 
cemented with lime and sand, 
and was once painted. The 
hieroglyphics which ornamented 
the piers and bas-reliefs show a 
much better knowledge of human 
anatomy than is shown in other American aboriginal work of like nature. In one of the 
courts are a number of stucco tablets and one of stone which shows a cross-legged seated 
figure like that of Buddha in some of the Hindoo pictures. It is on a seat carved with figures 
of jaguars, and before it is another richly dressed figure presendng some highly ornamented 
object. There are hieroglyphics on the tablet that doubdess tell the whole story, could we 
but read them. Near by is another building seventy-five feet long, and with solid walls 
except on the north, where there are five door-ways and six piers. Four of the latter are orna- 
mented with well-executed female figures, and the whole is ornamented with stucco-work and 
plenty of hieroglyphics, outside the house and in. In another structure is a group of human 
figures apparendy in the act of making a solemn sacrifice. Many of the buildings seem to ha^'e 
been lived in, and others were probably devoted to religious purposes. Two stones in the 
shape of a tongue, about a yard long and two-thirds of a yard wide, inscribed with hiero- 
glyphics, are objects of awe and adoration to the Indians. Throughout the state are scattered 
evidences of ancient occupancy, and it is remarkable for the numerous ruins of ancient cides and 




Types of Indian Women in Chiapas. 



350 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



monuments. The tombs at Palenqiie are objects of deep interest to archaeologists. One who 
has not visited the forests of Palenque cannot imagine the inextricable confusion of great roots, 
overturned tree-trunks, climbing vines, and decaying vegetation that buries everything under 
a seething, gloomy, deceptive covering. One step forward may land one on a fallen column, 
and the next bury one waist-deep in the rotten trunk of a fallen forest giant among scorpions 
and biting ants. 

The district of Chilon shares the extension of the salubrious mountain-lands of Palenque 
in the north and the fertile plains of Comitan in the south. The land is well timbered, has an 
abundance of water and pasture-fields, and offers splendid inducements for agricultural enter- 
prises. Capitalists from Comitan 
and San Cristobal have estab- 
lished fine estates that bring 
them a good income. 

Tuxtla-Gutierrez, the capi- 
tal and residence of the state offi- 
cials, is situated in the extreme 
east of the district and a few 
miles from the Chiapa River. 
It is the best trading town, being 
in communication with all sec- 
tions of the state, the supply- 
store of the other towns, and the 
warehouse for a good many of 
them. Suchiapa, Ocosocuautla, 
Zintalapa, and San Fernando are 
towns whose inhabitants exceed 
one thousand. A wagon-road 
connects Tuxtla with the port of 
Tonala, and a branch near the 
coast touches the Tehuantepec Railway. Good wagon-roads connect the capital with the towns 
of Suchiapa and Chiapa, and the plains that follow the left side of the Chiapa River render the 
country accessible clear up to Guatemala. There are mule-roads to San Cristobal, Comitan, 
and Copainala, and another is being constructed to Pichucalco. Twenty leagues below Tuxtla- 
Gutierrez the Mezcalapa River is navigable to Tabasco and the gulf 

Tonala, the county-seat and the residence of the Jefe Politico and Judge of First Instance, 
lies six leagues from Arista ; it has five thousand inhabitants. It is quite a commercial point. 
Arista is the only port of the district. The federal government has established here a mari- 
time custom-house and an office of Captain of Ports. The principal wagon-road of the state 
is the one that starts from Arista through Tonala and then ascends the Sierra Madre into 
the department of Tuxtla. A branch of this road connects the department with the Tehuan- 
tepec Railroad. The Mexican Pacific Railroad is built from Arista to La Aurora, and will 
continue to the capital, Tuxtla-Gutierrez. 

Soconusco is the best known of all the districts of Chiapas, owing to the rapid develop- 
ment of its natural wealth. From a poor, unknown section it has grown up within a few 
years to be the most famous and prosperous coffee district. Here foreign capitalists have in- 
vested ungrudgingly and made fortunes. Soconusco is situated at the southeast corner of the 




On the Road to Bonito. 



CHIAPAS 



)5i 



state, adjoining Guatemala, and occupies the widest section of the strip lying between the 
Sierra Madre and the Pacific Ocean. The country is mostly level along the coast, but rises 
gradually toward the Sierra, where splendid cotfee-lands are found, rivalled by none in the 
republic, unless by the other rich coffee districts in Chiapas. Soconusco cacao has been known 
ever since the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards, and always has had the reputation of 
being the best in the world. Soconusco is the most southern point in North America. 

Throughout Chiapas large amounts of foreign capital are coming into the country for 
investment. The successful results already accomplished are encouraging, and there are more 
new ventures being planned than ever before. Indeed, quite recently contracts have been 
made for bringing over several hundred Japanese colonists, nearly all of whom will locate in 
Chiapas and become factors in the coffee cultivation. The climatic conditions in the lower 
coast sections of the country, the soil, and the river transportation facilities in most of the coffee 
districts all offer peculiarly good inducements for the investment of capital in coffee-lands. 

The governor of Chiapas is Seiior Coronel Francisco Leon, who condiicts the affairs of his 
state with a commendable spirit of economy. 



352 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XLI 

CAMPECHE 

UST beyond Tabasco, and between that state and Yucatan, is Campeche. It has an 
area of twenty-six thousand and ninety square miles, and, Hlce its neighboring 
states, the population is largely Indian. It was formerly a part of Yucatan, but 
was separated in 1858. The principal river is the San Francisco. The Cham- 
poton also is important, and there are numerous smaller streams. There are, 

besides, some small lakes ; so that, taken as a whole, Campeche is a well-watered state. 

The soil is for the most part sandy, except near the capital and in the forests. There are 




i^% > 




Palace of Justice, Campeche. 



good pasture-lands, and cattle-raising is an important industry. Salt, rice, and sugar are 
prominent among the products, and henequin is raised in prodigious quantities. There is 
a great future for this part of Mexico as soon as capitalists shall discover what opportunities 



CAMPECHE 



353 



are open there for the manufacturer who will work up the textile material that can be raised in 
Campeche. 

The capital of the state is the city of Campeche, which is also an important seaport for all 
the surrounding states. It is situated on the Bay of Campeche, at the mouth of the San Fran- 
cisco River. It has a population of about twenty-five thousand, and is fast growing. The 
streets are irregular, and the houses remarkable for their uniform height of one story, their 
square form, and for all being built of the limestone which abounds near the city. 

We were charmed with Campeche ; it is very picturesque, with its great wall surrounding 
the city, built in defence against Indian raiders and French and English buccaneers. Gov- 
ernor Montalvo and others entertained us. We were struck with the affectionate refjard 




Calle de Zaragoza, showing the Wall wiiilii ii;KKnuMi> tiik Crrv. 

shown for the family of Honorable Joaquin Baranda, minister of justice. The Barandas have 
been intimately associated with the history of the state, and I believe the records show that 
Minister Baranda's father was admiral of the tiny Mexican fleet that operated against the 
Spaniards in the colonial struggle for independence. The state is now called Campeche de 
Baranda, in his honor. 

Campeche was founded in the middle of the sixteenth century, and has figured in history 
more or less ever since. It was sacked by the British in 1659, and again by pirates in 1678, and 
by filibusters in 1685. Its site has been twice changed, the present one being honey-combed 
with subterranean chambers which were dug out ages ago by the Mayas Indians, ruins of whose 
structures may be seen in the vicinity of Campeche even now. The city of to-day has several 
churches and convents, a museum containing interesting aboriginal relics, a theatre, and several 



354 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



schools and colleges. It has a beautiful alameda, embellished with alleys of orange-trees and 
seats of the native marble. There is a lack of good water at Campeche, and living is conse- 
quently higher than in some other Mexican towns. The port is defended by three fortresses. 
The roads are extremely shallow, and few of the numerous vessels can approach the mole. 
Vessels drawing ten feet of water have to anchor a mile off shore, and those drawing fifteen 
feet from six to seven miles away. 

The commerce of Campeche was, under the Spanish colonial system, in a most flourishing 
state, as it had the monopoly of the imports to Yucatan ; but it is now confined mostly to salt, 
sugar, hides, henequin and articles manufactured from it. Logwood and other dyestuffs are 
still exported in quantities, but the cigar industry is greater. The Campeche cigars are made 



^«*fl^PSSS»S 




Plaza de la Independencia, Campeche. 

from Tabasco tobacco (which is superior to that of Yucatan), and are often sold in foreign 
markets for the Havana. 

In many respects, nature has been kind to Campeche. It needs only good judgment and 
industry to develop its riches. There are plenty of rivers for irrigation, each worth a gold-mine, 
if properly used, but now comparatively valueless because unemployed. There is but one 
railway in the country, that to Minatitlan, three hundred and eighty-five miles long, a branch 
of the celebrated Tehuantepec route. 

Everybody has heard of the "Mysterious City," which tradition places somewhere in this 
region. Deep in the wilderness, on some far-off unnamed tributary of the Rio Usumasinta, is 
supposed to be hidden a splendid city, whose white walls shine like silver in the sun, and 
inhabited by unconquered aboriginal Indians who yet worship the hideous idols of their 



CAMPECHE 



355 



ancestors. At least it is true that several adventurous explorers of our own time, who 
have made this region the study of years, believe in the mysterious city. Stephens, Morelet, 
Squier, and Le Plongeon tried hard to find it ; and Ober, being on the border of the wilder- 
ness, was strongly tempted to venture alone in search of it, but was dissuaded from the 
undertaking. 

It is said that only one person in the world claims to have actually sojourned within the 
aboriginal city and lived to tell the tale. This is Seiior Don Pedro Velasquez, a Guatemalan. 
He says that he accompanied two young gentlemen from Baltimore, Maryland, who, with several 
Campeche Indians, were prospecting the wilderness in search of mines and india-rubber, and 
who, after many hardships and hairbreadth escapes, reached the shining city. According to 




Ruins of Hoch-ob, Campeche. 

his account, the wonder is that they were allowed to enter at all. But once inside the city, 
they were safe enough so long as they showed no desire to depart. At the first attempt to 
leave it they were bound hand and foot and thrust into a pen adjoining the temple. That 
same evening one of the Baltimoreans was sacrificed on the blood-stained altar of the sun, 
having the heart torn from his living body and placed reeking before the idol just as the sun 
sank below the horizon. The others expected the same fate, but during the night they man- 
aged to effect an almost miraculous escape. Only Don Pedro, however, and one of his Indians 
returned to civilization, the rest having perished in the wilderness. 

Carmen, while it has the best harbor on the Mexican coast, is one of its least known 
ports. As no regular line of ocean-steamers stops there, it seldom falls to the lot of tourists 
or travellers to visit the place ; yet there are from a dozen to two dozen foreign vessels 



!56 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



anchored there a great part of the time. At the lower extremity of Yucatan a fringe of 
islands hems in a portion of the gulf, forming a large lake. The early navigators, believing 
this lake to be a strait separating Yucatan from the mainland, and here terminating their 
voyages for the time being, gave it the name of Terminos, which name still remains. But 
the lake is really the estuary of the great Usumasinta River, which drains an area of 
country extendmg from the Cockscomb Mountains of British Honduras on the east to the 
rugged mountain-peaks of Chiapas on the west and the Cordilleras of Guatemala on the south. 
Since its birth the wealth of Carmen has consisted in the logwood cut in the vicinity and on 
the banks of the Usumasinta, with large quantities of mahogany felled in the interior and floated 
down the streams to the port. For the shipment of these valuable woods many vessels are 
required. 

Travelling in the jungles of Campeche is not particularly inviting as yet. Wild beasts and 




Palacio Central, Ruins of Hoch-ob, Campeche. 

hostile Indians are not the greatest perils In that tropic forest. Terrible tales are told of enor- 
mous serpents which hurl themselves from the trees with the force of a catapult, by one twist 
of their sinuous coils crushing- the life out of a man on horseback, and swallowing' small animals 
in the twinkling of an eye. Even worse than the giant boa is the small vibora de sangi^c, whose 
bite causes the blood of man or beast to ooze through the pores of the skin until the veins 
are empty and the victim dies from exhaustion. There are also tiny vipers, the exact color of 
the leaves under which they lurk, whose sting is certain death. 

And yet, life in many parts of the state is almost ideal ; and invariably the stranger in 
Southern Mexico is astonished at the magnificence in which the wealthy planters live. Each is 



CAMPECHE 

.■>57 

like a king in his own extensive domain, absolute monarch of ail he surveys, as well as lord of 
the lives and destmies of his peons. y , ^^ ^^ cu as lora oi 

The hacienda garden is a wonder in its way. In it are cocoanut-, mango-, and red-pear- 
LedfZt^:' 'T^' and limes, thickets of figs and pomegranates, whil? the fiower-beds 
with ro I ^'° -"^ '"^ ^^"'"'■'^ '"''^ ^^""^'^'^'^ shells bedded in mortar, are filled 

r cause .rortr^h'^T"-"' n'^^"' ^'"°^^ --cognisable as the familiar favorites 
a model oPh "' "^7 T °" *' '^'^'^^ ^"^*^"'^' ^°°- *^ proprietor's residence is 
weX mI^Z"' ' ' ^""' " '^^ ^'"^"^ ^"' ^^P'^^^ °^ ^'^^ -'-^ ^--- °^ 

_ The governor of Campeche is Senor Don Juan Montalvo, whose administration is distin- 
guished by prudent foresight and wise economy. 



558 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XLII 



zr 



points. 



TABASCO 

ABASCO lies north of Chiapas and stretches along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, 
covering an area of twelve thousand seven hundred and sixteen square miles. It 
lies also between Campeche on the east and Vera Cruz on the west. The popu- 
lation is largely Indian, of a peaceful disposition, although Tabasco, like all the 
other Mexican states, is fast being developed by white men from various northern 
There are many lagoons and inlets along the coast, with the islands of Laguna Carmen 

and Puerto Real. The surface is flat and 
marshy, except in the southern portion, 
where it rises toward the mountains of 
Chiapas and becomes more healthy. 

The Usumasinta and Tabasco Rivers 
are the most important streams : these are 
navigable, carrying a large amount of 
freight, and being the principal thorough- 
fares of the state. Oak, cedar, iron wood, 
and mahogany abound. Coffee, cacao, 
sugar-cane, pepper, palmetto, tobacco, and 
rice are extensively cultivated, offering mag- 
nificent opportunities for further develop- 
ment. Corn yields three and often four 
crops a year in this land without a winter. 
Wild bees furnish large amounts of wax 
and honey, and indigo grows spontaneously. 
The capital and largest city is San 
Juan Bautista. Cortez and the Spanish 
army discovered Tabasco and made a land- 
ing there before they went on to Mexico. 
Bernal Diaz speaks of the town of Tabasco, 
with its wooden walls. It was then a very 
populous place, with the better houses built 
of stone and Hme, and the others of mud 
or adobe. The inhabitants, the Tabascan 
Indians, gave proof of superior refinement as well as unusual valor. Their stout resistance, 
however, did not prevent Cortez and his soldiers from finally gaining possession and capturing 
it "in the name of the Crown." This he did with three sword-cuts on a large ceiba-tree, 




General Abraham Bandala, 

GovERNOK OF Tabasco. 



TABASCO 



359 




Farm-House, Tabasco. 



proclaiming aloud that he took possession of Tabasco in behalf of his Catholic sovereigns, and 

would defend and maintain it with sword and buckler. He did not find this so easy as he had 

hoped, for soon the whole adjacent country was ready for battle, and on the 25th of March 

(Lady Day), 1519, a fierce 

contest was waged on the 

plains of Ceutla, a few miles 

from Tabasco. Even then this 

country was well irrigated with 

numerous ditches crossing oft 

the land like a checker-board. 

Maize and cacao were erowincr 

in CTreat abundance, and great 

plantations of them were fed 

by numerous canals and res- 
ervoirs of water, with only 

a narrow roadway between. 

Cortez's troops triumphed, 

however, after a fierce battle 

lasting some hours, and in the 

interchange of slaves following 

the great Spanish conqueror came into possession of the beautiful slave Dona Marina, who had 

so much influence in Mexican matters afterward. 

Her father was a rich and powerful cacique, but died young, and her mother married again. 

In order to secure the estates for the son of this second marriage her mother sold Dona Marina 

into slavery ; and after one or two changes she fell into the hands of Cortez, who first made her 

his interpreter, then his secretary, and finally his mistress. Afterward she had it in her power 

to have her mother properly 
punished, but refused to do 
so. Her son, Don Martin Cor- 
tez, was Comendador of the 
Military Order of St. James. 
She always felt sympathy for 
the conquered race, and her 
name of Malinche (the Aztec 
word for Marina) was always 
remembered with kindness in 
Mexico. Many an Indian bal- 
lad commemorates her o-ood 
qualities, and it is said that 
her gentle spirit &\&n now 
watches over Mexico, and that 
oftentimes the spirit of an 
Indian princess is seen at 
the grottos and groves around Chapultepec. 
Many of the Spanish conquerors settled in Tabasco, others in the cordillera toward the 

rich slopes and valleys of Oaxaca. When Cortez endeavored to discover a strait in Central 




Port of San Juan Bautista. 



evenincf flitting amone 

•J >Z> i^ 



36o 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



America which should connect the great oceans, he again marched through Tabasco. He 
halted in Coatzacoalcos and hunted up a map of Tabasco. From there on to Honduras the 
Spanish army had a most discouraging time in the marshes and overflowed watercourses. They 
were obliged to build fifty bridges within a hundred miles, and one of them was more than nine 
hundred jDaces across. They found Iztapan, which was then a considerable village. They 
passed near the famous ruins of Palenque, and the village of Las Tres Cruzes still has a trace 
of their visit in the three crosses which they left there. And yet, with all this, no description of 
the ancient capital is found in Bernal Diaz's or Cortez's accounts. Was it even then a heap of 




Street in San Juan Bautista. 

ruins moulderine in a mass of vegretation and hidden from the knowledge of the surrounding- 
country ? 

Farther on, -in the -province of Aculan, was for many years the famous " Bridge of Cortez," 
which contained one thousand pieces of timber sixty feet long and the thickness of a man's ' 
body, and yet was built in four days. Until the present century this bridge stood as a 
monument of Cortez's commanding bravery and energy. It was in Aculan, too, that Cortez 
was informed that Guatemozin, the last of the Aztec chiefs, who had accompanied him from 
Mexico, had formed a conspiracy against the Spaniards. And in spite of his protestations, 
Cortez ordered his execution. He, with the chief of Tacuba and one or more inferior princes, 
was executed by being hung from a ceiba-tree beside the road. They had been "converted to 
Christianity," but died by the hands of those who converted them, and thus perished the last 
Aztec emperor. 

A good deal of the country is sloping and very much broken, but at least four-fifths could 



TABASCO 



?6i 



be well cultivated. Coffee always requires a slope. The present population, which is sparse, 
consists principally of Indians. These people work faithfully and cheerfully at light work, such 
as coffee-gathering. 

There is no finer country in the world awaiting development than this general slope. The 
rainfall is abundant. The climate is very healthy. Any observant man who will look at the 
Caucasian, type of Mexicans among the scattered ranches of people born and raised there will 
find that they will compare favorably for bone, muscle, color, and physical strength with the 
best Mexican type. The water is plentiful, pure, and nearly always soft. 

There is a good quantity of water-power available all through this state : the supply of 
it toward the wilder end of the slope is practically unlimited. 

There is plenty of building-stone in the country. Part of the slope has an unlimited 




San Juan Bautista. 

quantity of marble of all colors. The state is especially attractive on accoimt of the harm- 
less, gentle, industrious nature of the few Indians that occupy it. 

The trade of the state is controlled by Spaniards, who also own nearly all the steamers 
sailing under the Mexican flag in the Gulf of Mexico. They are all hard workers, and most 
of them fine fellows. They send home to Spain about a million dollars annually. A good 
many marry in the country, and their children are among the best types in the state. 

This country unites all the conditions necessary for happy, reasonable living. The climate 
is temperate, the water excellent and abundant ; there is plenty of timber and plenty of building- 
stone ; it is a fine coffee, corn, cane, and cotton country. 

The capital, San Juan Bautista, is on an island of volcanic origin thrown up in the midst of 



362 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



the alluvial plain of the Grljalva, about sixty-five miles from the sea. It has a population of 
twelve thousand, and is provided with two street railroads and a first-class electric-light plant, 
comprising one hundred arc lamps and one thousand incandescents. The latter are exten- 
sively used in private houses. More than a million dollars have been put into new buildings 
since 1887, about half of that amount having been invested by foreigners, who would not be 
likely to place their money in turbulent communities. There has been only one burglary in 
San Juan Bautista for the last eight years, and that was committed by people from the interior. 




Government Palace, San Juan Bautista. 

San Juan Bautista is almost a Yankee town in point of progress. All through that country 
we were impressed with what we have noted elsewhere, and that is the devotion of Mexicans 
to their dead heroes. The Mexicans have fine feelings, and perhaps nowhere is this better 
illustrated than in the regard thus shown for those whose eallant endeavor formed the corner- 
stone of their country's unparalleled prosperity. 

The governor of Tabasco, General Abraham Bandala, is a hard-workine and able func- 
tionary, to whose heart the interests of the people under his care are ever the first consideration. 



YUCATAN 



303 



CHAPTER XLIII 



YUCATAN 



Ni^^^^k OWN In the little strip of country between North and South America once flour- 

^ X ^ ished a rich and powerful empire. It marked a prehistoric millennium, for at the 

^^T^ / height of its development the empire had grown beyond warfare and capital 

^^^^^ punishment. There was no shedding of blood. The relics of its inhabitants, 

sculpture, and architecture challenge comparison with those of Greece. The 

laws seem to have been far better than 

those of to-day. Its people had a literature 

from which other ancient nations seem to 

have borrowed copiously, if not always 

accurately. They were a physically perfect 

race, and theirs was the day of Methuse- 

lahs. Their religion forms the basis of the 

more modern religions. They worshipped 

one God, the creator of all things, and 

believed in the immortality of the soul. 

Their women were equal with the men, 

fighting with them side by side in battle, 

as well as sharing in all social, civil, and 

religious honors. It will thus be seen that 

the new woman is not so very new after 

all ; she is something over ten thousand 

years old. The seat of this ancient empire, 

which included all the land of Tehuantepec 

to the Isthmus of Darien, was known as 

Mayax. Uxmal was the seat of govern- 
ment, while the centre of learning-, the 

metropolis of the empire, was Chichen-Itza. 

To it came pilgrims from the adjacent 

country to see its glories and taste of its 

wonderful knowledge or to sacrifice in its 

grand temples. 

Knowledge, as in all the old civilizations, was a matter of caste. The masses were tauo-ht 

in figurative language. The Mayan scholars had an excellent knowledge of geography, with 

primitive maps. It is not likely that the maps would be of much practical value to modern 

geographers, as the different countries were represented under the forms of certain animals or 




Lie. Carlos Peon, 

Governor of Yucatan. 



YUCATAN 365 

objects. The ancient rulers of Mayax received their title of Can (serpent) from the shape of 
the country. ^ Any one who looks at a map of Central America can see how it resembles a 
serpent. This title was a general one : every ruler was a king. After his death the ruler was 
deified, and thus may be accounted for the origin of serpent worship. The serpent is held 
sacred, as is the tree, in the mythology of every country. Both have been closely related, and 
no better explanation has been found for this relation. 

^ Mayax of old also figured as a tree planted in the continent of South America, with Yucatan 
as Its principal branch. The sacred tree, its representative, the ceiba-tree, is an evergreen- 
tree, with wide-spreading branches, and is to-day planted in front of the churches in that part 
of the country. It was supposed to be the Tree of Knowledge or Life. It was truly •' placed 
in the middle of the garden," the empire of Maya being between the two continents. North and 
South America. Yucatan, consequently, is supposed to be the seat of the oldest civilization in 
America. But, although it was "discovered" by Europeans in 1506, this ancient civilization had 
then died out and only the ruins of it remained. Archeeologists and scholars have speculated 
without end, and almost without results, on this ancient civilization. Some think that here 
was the lost Adantis ; some believe it to have been the seat of the Garden of Eden, and imagine 
that here Adam and Eve founded the human race ; some believe it to be mysteriously Con- 
nected with ancient Egypt ; but probably the theory above stated with regard to the Mayas is 
most correct. 

With some writers it is the fashion to say that Columbus was the discoverer of this penin- 
sula, because when at Pine Island in the summer of 1502 he sighted a canoe, evidently from the 
adjacent mainland. Had Columbus followed that canoe he would doubdess have added to his 
own glory ; and, at any rate, his mention brought hither three years later Vincent Yanez Pinzon 
and Diaz Solis, who are generally known as the real discoverers of Yucatan. Cordova reported 
great cities with splendid palaces and many high pyramids, and, landing at Campeche, found 
stately temples, with their walls covered with serpents carved in basso-rilievo, similar to those 
of the great teocalli in the city of Mexico. From the littie that can be learned it seems that 
previous to the Spanish conquest there existed in Yucatan a powerful and populous nation, of 
an origin so remote as to be altogether unknown, and ruled by caciques according to fixed 
principles of law and order. The first European to explore its shores was Fernando Cortez, 
in 15 1 7. He gave it the name of Yucatan. One account says that on landing and asking 
the name of the country the natives answered, " Tectetan," meaning, 'T do not understand you," 
and that Cortez took the phrase for Yucatan. 

Bernal Diaz says it came from the Indian word " Ouyouckatan,"—" Listen to what they 
say." Cortez's nephew, Juan de Grijalva, explored the region, and, being impressed with the 
evidences of civilization, the extraordinary character and number of the ruins, and the numerous 
shrines and crosses, which reminded him of his own country, named the entire peninsula New 
Spain ; a name afterward taken to cover all Mexico, but which, happily, has not stood. 

The conquest of Yucatan was finally completed under Grijalva's son in 1541, and Yucatan 
belonged to Spain till 182 1. After three years of independence, it was united to Me.xico in 1S24. 
It was again independent from 1840 to 1843, and from 1846 to 1852. It has since belonged to 
Mexico, first as a single state, until 1858, when Campeche was separated from it. 

The area of Yucatan is thirty-two thousand six hundred and fifty-eight square miles. It is 
divided into fifteen districts,— Merida, Motul, Izamal, Valladolid, Espita, Tizimin, Ticul, Sotuta, 
Tekax, Peto, Maxcan, Temax, Tixkokob, Hannama, and Acanceh. The population is still 
largely Maya Indian. The coast of Yucatan is generally higher and bolder along the Caribbean 



366 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Sea than elsewhere, and has several excellent harbors. The northern portion has sandy shores, 
with the two sandy ports or roadsteads of Progreso and Sisal. On the west coast is the Laguna 
de Terminos, the principal inlet. The chief islands are Carmen, or Perla del Golfo, across the 
mouth of Lao-una de Terminos, the Alacranes group, and Cozumel, where Cortez first landed 
and held his communications with the Mayas. Except for the chain of hills across the interior, 
the country is mostly low and rather flat. The Usumasinta, which rises in Guatemala, is the 
chief river, and empties into the Laguna de Terminos. A most remarkable feature of Yucatan 
is the number and magnitude of its subterranean rivers. The climate, though generally very 
hot, is on the whole salubrious, except on the gulf coast, which is periodically visited by yellow 
fever. The seasons are two, — the dry, from October to May, and the wet, embracing the 
remaining months. Most of the interior is covered with dense forests, rich in many varieties of 
precious woods, including mahogany and rosewood. The soil in the south and east is of great 
fertility, yielding abundant crops of maize, pulse, rice, indigo, tobacco, coffee, vanilla, sugar-cane. 



and, above all, the precious 
furnishes sisal-hemp. Copal 
are plentiful. The chief occu- 
cattle-raising, the manufacture 
of various articles of hene- 
dences of a higher civilization 
originally inhabited Yucatan 

The ruins of Uxmal, Chi- 
have been explored by Ste- 
eists. Those of Uxmal, the 
about fifty miles south-south- 
prise numerous massive lime- 
broad terraced platforms, and 
largest single building, called 
a front of three hundred and 
twenty-four rooms. The most 
"house of the nuns," com- 
closing a large court-yard, with 
"house of the dwarf," on a 
feet high, was a teocalli for 
anything, definite is known of the uses of the temples and other vast edifices, which, from their 
size and profuse ornamentation in carved and colored figures and bassi-rilievi, are, even in their 
ruined state, among the most wonderful architectural relics in the Western world. Nor does 
any certainty exist relative to the building of the edifices and cities, though Morelet, Orozco y 
Berra, and others contend that they could have been constructed only by the Toltecs. 

Equally interesting are the ruins at Chichen. Notwithstanding the appearance of great 
antiquity of these ruins, which are perhaps the most remarkable in Yucatan, they are in a 
better state of preservation than any other; but they have the distinguishing- feature -common 
to all of them, — namely, the impossibility of ascertaining the purposes or uses of the extraor- 
dinary structures which still stand in testimony of the high degree of civilization of a people 
long since forgotten. According to Stephens, the most curious and at the same time the most 
incomprehensible ruins he met with were a series of columns at Chichen, the highest of which do 
not exceed six feet, so disposed as to form a vast parallelogram, the rows being respectively 




Type of Yucatacos. 



henequin, or pita plant, which 
and other resins and gums 
pations are agriculture and 
of coarse cotton fabrics and 
quin, and fishing. The evi- 
possessed by the race that 
are abundant and interesting, 
chen, Izamal, Mayapan, etc., 
phens and o<:her archseolo- 
most remarkable, are situated 
west of Merida. They com- 
stone structures, built on 
all highly ornamented. The 
"the governor's house," has 
twenty-two feet, and contains 
beautiful structure is the 
posed of four ranges en- 
eighty-eight apartments. The 
very steep mound eighty-eight 
human sacrifices. But little, if 



YUCATAN 367 

three, four, and five feet deep fi-om the outside to the enclosed space within. In the immediate 
vicinity of the area comprised within these pillars is the Castillo, or castle, rising from the same 
plane and occupying the top of a lofty pyramidal mound which measures at its base on the 
north and south sides one hundred and ninety-six feet, and on the east and west sides two 
hundred and two feet, and is seventy-five feet in height. The four sides of the building itself 
measure forty-three and forty-nine feet respectively, in the same direction as the mound. 

The capital of Yucatan is Merida, situated about twenty miles from the port of Progreso, 
on the Gulf of Mexico. Merida was founded in 1542 by Francisco de Montejo the younger. 
It occupies the site of the ancient Maya town of T'hoo. It was made a bishopric in 1561, 
and became an important town early in the Spanish dominion of Mexico. The decisive battle 
which conquered the country, in 1541, was fought on the spot where Merida now stands, 
between two hundred Spaniards and forty thousand Indians — according to Spanish accounts. 
Probably the figures are not exact, though doubtless the defeated army was greatly superior 
in point of numbers. 

Merida was built almost entirely from the material of the Indian city, and upon the ruins 
of another ages older. T'hoo, the Maya city which the Spaniards found and razed to the 
ground in the year 1542, was the site of many temples, palaces, and pyramids, and so ancient 
that enormous trees were growing on the "hills made by hand," as the historian describes the 
artificial mounds. Each pyramid was crowned by a temple, and on the tallest, which stood in the 
place now occupied by Merida's main plaza, was the principal sanctuary, H-chun-Caan, where 
human sacrifices to unknown gods were offered amid imposing ceremonies by a long retinue 
of priests. Beyond these facts even tradition is silent concerning T'hoo and the people thereof 

The Merida of to-day is laid out in the chess-board fashion of New Spain, with streets 
running at right angles and square blocks of buildings. The exact centre is occupied by an 
extensive plaza, and in it are gardens of flowers and trees and a handsome fountain, which 
seems to have been constructed without any expectation of its containing water. The streets are 
broad, and the sidewalks are four feet wide, but paved with rough stones. The oddest thing 
about the streets is their nomenclature by object-lessons, so plainly portrayed that they may be 
read without the aid of letters. Of course the subjugated Indians could not read print, and 
for convenience the Spaniards called the streets after the names of familiar objects, with repre- 
sentations at the street-corners as perpetual reminders. Thus, one street is named Calle del 
Flamingo, and has a huge red flamingo painted on the corner house. Another is the Street of 
the Elephant, and the representation is a well-moulded figure of an elephant with exaggerated 
trunk and tusks. There is the Street of the Old Woman (Calle del Mujer Viejo), and on its 
corner is the caricature of an aged female with huge spectacles astride her Hebrew nose. The 
Street of Two Faces has a double-faced human head ; and there are others equally striking. 

In every street of Merida a few blocks distant from the centre stands an ancient gateway, 
arched high above the pavement, and just beyond are the barrios, or suburbs. Over each gate- 
way is now a dismantled niche, which once held its Christ or saint or Virgin, before which the 
people were forever kneeling and crossing themselves. There are no fewer than fifteen public 
squares in the city, each facing a church. Around the great central plaza are arranged the 
principal edifices of church and state. One whole side is occupied by the cathedral and the 
bishop's palace. The cathedral, erected early in the sixteenth century, is one hundred and 
seventy-nine feet wide by nearly three hundred feet long. On its otherwise severely plain 
fagade is a central pavilion, in which is the main entrance, ornamented by a Corinthian portico ; 
one hundred feet above this is a grand vaulted arch supporting a gallery, and on each side are 



368 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



two steeples, with a number of galleries narrowing in upward succession, each ornamented with 
light balustrades of stone. The interior of the church is equally imposing. It consists of three 
naves, with round arches supported by twelve immense columns of solid stone, while twenty 
other pillars of like dimensions are embedded in the walls. Small chapels with splendidly 
decorated shrines are placed along the sides ; over the door-way are carved the arms of Mexico, 
flanked by saints in bas-relief. 

Among Merida's many churches are several almost as fine as the cathedral, and hardly less 
remarkable for the power and influence of their particular saints in the public estimation. There 
is St. Anne's Church, which ladies frequent to pray for good husbands. It is said that in many 
instances the supplications of spinsters have brought about most gratifying results. In another 















ts^^ 


jiM 








\- : 


■ 


^ A A A Aix. ~,„t.jili 




i^^HS^Sl 










■J 






\ 


' << 




1 




''- - ''^'^^■'^^yTlRHKMii'^SP""' ■'^^ ■■ 


-, 


V "^ " ■/ '" 


m ^^sm 






/ 


'S 


l|ffi^HR^' 



Tekax. 



sanctuary, which enshrines an image of St. Barbe, is a vast collection of figures in wax and ivory, 
representing parts of the human frame which had been healed through the efficacy of prayer, 
with hundreds of discarded crutches, models of vessels miraculously preserved at sea, and 
pictures representing deliverance from many perils. 

On the south side of the plaza, in strange contrast to the governor's palace and the great 
Casa Municipal, is the oldest house in the city, one of the most remarkable buildings in Mexico. 
It is the house of Montejo the younger, built in the year 1549. Tall pillars on either side of 
the main entrance bear aloft two Spanish soldiers, and on the first floor, by the window, are two 
wonderful knights, armed with visors, breastplates, and helmets, standing upon the bodies of 
prostrate Indians, a graphic portrayal of the subjugation of the Mayas. Most of the houses of 
Merida are low, having but the ground floor, all of stone and stucco, and the building materials 



YUCATAN 



569 



include massive blocks from the pyramids, beautifully carved and polished in past ages. All have 
flat roofs, with balconied windows stoutly grated by half-inch iron bars, projecting a foot or two 
beyond the walls. The unpromising exterior is but the outside, however, of spacious apart- 
ments opening into the patio, encompassed by Moorish arches. The patios are planted with 
flowers, shrubs, and palm-trees, and the whole effect savors of Granada, Morocco, and the 
Byzantine empire. Glass window-panes are almost unknown. The walls are so thick and the 
window-openings so large that people place chairs in the embrasures and pass man)' hours 
looking at the street scenes. In the bedrooms one sees wooden knobs on the walls, which are to 
fasten hammocks to, for all Merida sleeps in a hammock, — that is, every individual sleeps in his 
or her hammock. Those moving in the highest circles of society, as well as the most lowly, 




Merida. Yucatan. 



are born, live, and die in hammocks, — not the kind of hammocks exported to other countries, 

but fine white ones, made from sisal-hemp. The natives excel in their manufacture. Only the 

coarser kinds are sent away, for at home the best ones, costing from ten to fifteen or even thirty 

dollars apiece, find a ready market. These are of remarkable length, width, and fineness, — 

indeed, sometimes almost resembling lace, — but always they are very strong. 

All the rooms of the houses are large, and the ceilings lofty. Some of the floors are of 

tile, and others of a dark red polished substance resembling stone. The drawing-room is 

usually about sixty feet long and thirty feet wide. The walls are delicately frescoed, although 

the basis is only coarse cotton cloth stretched and covered with a heavy coat of sizing, upon 

which the beautiful and delicate paintings are laid. The patio, however, is the most attractive 

part of the establishment, and in it, sheltered during the heat of the day by the cool shade of 

24 



370 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

palms, the inmates lie in hammocks hung in the corridor or porch and pass the time in blissful 
comfort. 

The architecture of the Mexican house, with its barred windows and well-guarded doors, 
which prevent intrusion, along with the climate and customs, tends to incline the people to lead 
exclusive and perhaps lazy lives ; and yet, once within the massive doors, the beauty and care 
and love of the home life are seen in many ways. In such homes the li\'es of the Meridans are 
directed in gentle and lovely ways, and we recognize the charm of it all, and are ready to accord 
these Mexican sisters all their accredited beauty and gentleness of heart. 

The Merida market is in a court between his^h buildings. Here small tables and bits of 
straw matting are placed on all sides, and upon these the men and women display their wares. 
Vegetables, fruits, and goods of all descriptions are arranged in heaps ; here one can find the 
products of every zone and clime, and all very cheap. The people are sheltered from the 
intense rays of the sun by awnings of cloth or matting. They are all polite, and, with their 
bright smiles, easily gain customers. Under nearly every awning, mixed up with the vegetables 
or flowers, are fat round babies with black eyes and always sweet and charming. The flower- 
market is the place of enchantment, for the love of flowers is a strong trait of character in these 
people. Here are men and women arranging great bunches of exquisite blossoms with a 
delicacy of taste which both delights and surprises the visitor. 

There are institutes of law, of medicine, and of pharmacy ; there are a literary institute, 
private colleges, academies, and fine public schools. Manufacturing is in a flourishing state. 

A few words about the ancient marriage customs of Yucatan may prove interesting. 
From time immemorial the Maya women have worn a simple form of dress which they never 
vary. It consists of two pieces, a very full skirt falling to the ankles, and a loose upper gar- 
ment called liipil. Joined under the arms only, being made very ample, it hangs in graceful folds, 
after the manner of the Greek peplum. Cotton or linen is the material, always plain white, 
though trimmed with colored embroidery. As for jewelry, each woman loads her neck, fingers, 
and ears with it. Decked out in this finery, the bride was formerly conducted to the home of 
her betrothed. All the relatives of both families had been invited, and sat in a line around the 
room. The father of the bridegroom began the ceremony by scattering cacao-beans over the 
floor. These were picked up and kept by the guests, being symbolical of the hospitality that 
the young couple must always bestow on their fellow-men. The beans having been gathered, 
the young couple knelt side by side on a mat to receive the blessing of the young man's 
parents, his mother's first, then his father's. This benediction consisted in sprinkling them with 
a twig of rue dipped in pure water. This was followed by a second scattering of cacao beans, 
after which the bride and the groom had to partake of a mixture of pinole and honey. The 
parents of the bride took no active part in this ceremony. To-day none of the natives confine 
themselves to this simple form of marriage. The priest assures them that without the sanction 
of the Church they are not properly married, so they go to the altar. The Mexican law alone 
can make their union legal, therefore they are usually married twice over. 

The scenery of Yucatan impresses travellers as strangely unique. Just back of the coast 
dunes stretches a broad lagoon many miles in extent, and varying in depth with the season. 
Here millions of northern birds spend their winters, and when the passing train stardes them 
to wing, the sky is literally blackened by ducks, teal, ibis, egrets, and herons, blue and white. 
Beyond the lagoon the bed of coral which composes the entire peninsula of Yucatan rises 
slightly above the sea-level, presenting the appearance of a dry swamp. Wheel-roads follow 
the railways, and upon them patient oxen plod painfully along, their heads bowed under heavy 



YUCATAN 



0/ ■ 



wooden yokes, hauling great loads of henequin in rude carts with wheels of wood. Finally 
the region of henequin plantations is reached, with miles and miles of the so-called "sisal" on 
either side. The immense fields are neatly walled, and the picturesque homes of the planters 
are mostly built of stone, shaded by rows of cocoa-palms, and approached by long avenues 
through arches and stuccoed gateways. 

The great industry of Yucatan is the cultivation of henequin, or yasJiqui, that species of 
the cacti family known as "sisal." Few people not directly concerned in the business have any 
idea of its magnitude and its enormous importance. Henequin grows wild in great profu- 
sion all over Yucatan, and, as it requires almost no w^ater, 
it seems to thrive best on barren rocks and desert sands, 
or in very thin soil, where nothing else could find foothold. 
A henequin plant attains its full perfection in seven years. 
A stem shoots out from the centre of it, and the leaves 
gradually detach themselves in the form of an immense 
spear or "Spanish bayonet," with sharp thorns along the 
edges, terminating in a strong needle-like point. A bale 
of henequin fibre (four hundred pounds) represents the 
product of about seven thousand leaves. In most places 
the old process of making the fibre by hand is discarded as 
unprofitable, and the stripping of the leaves is done with 
great machines driven by powerful steam-engines. The 
scraper consists of a large wheel with strong blunt knives 
all around its rim. The henequin leaves are pressed against 
this rim, and, by means of a lever, worked by the hand and 
foot of an Indian, the knives remove in an instant the pulp 
which covers the fibre. The pulp having been removed, 
the fibre is taken from the leaves in long strips, like very 
fine silk thread, of a beautiful green tint. It is made into small bundles and placed in the sun 
to dry, care being taken to turn it over frequently, that all the moisture and vegetable matter 
may be expelled, as otherwise it would ferment after baling, and fermentation means a consider- 
able reduction in its commercial value. In the packing-house the dried hanks are put up into 
four-hundred-pound bales by a cotton-press. It is then ready for market, where its average 
value is seventy dollars a bale ; but of course, like other commodities, it has its ups and downs 
in price. 

Henequin-raising is a good business for an enterprising young man. Wild land may be 
had almost for the asking, either from the government or from private owners, — generally 
the descendants of some old-time hidalgo, — who have more land than they know what to do 
with. Any wild henequin plants will do to stock the hacienda, using young shoots cut from the 
base of older growths. When set out in holes about eight feet apart they invariably take kindly 
to their new quarters and flourish, and once fairly under way the plantation requires very little 
attention. Three years after the shoots are set out the plants are large enough for the first 
crop to be cut ; the cutting goes on for ten or twelve years ; and in the mean time new shoots 
are set out every year, so that the plantation is constantly being renewed. 

The grain crop and its products consume an astonishing amount of fibre. Binders' twine, 
cordage, hemp sacks, and ropes are necessary for handling all products, and all these are made 
of the fibre. 




Section of the Nunnery, Chichen-Tija. 



372 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Next in value to henequin comes the Brovielia pita, locally known as "ixtle," the ancient 
Aztec name. From this the Maya's clothes were made, and it formed the foundation of the 
beautiful feather cloaks of Montezuma's time. Though the best ixtle grows near Tehuantepec, 
there are a dozen varieties of the plant in other parts of Mexico. Some of the fibres grow 
to the length of fifteen or twenty feet, silky as floss, yet strong as wire, and capable of being 
subdivided into threads from which may be woven the coarsest bagging or the finest cloth, ship 
cables or spool thread. To this day the ixtle furnishes the poorer natives with their garments 
and the hammock-beds in which they are born and die, and with their baskets and household 
utensils ; paper is manufactured from the fibre ; from the roots of the plant a favorite intoxicant 
is brewed ; the juice of its bruised leaves is the best known remedy for wounds ; its thorns are 
the Indians' pins and needles ; in short, there is no telling all the uses to which it is put. A few 
years ago some ixtle fibre was sent to England to be experimented with in the great cloth 
manufactories, and from it some handkerchiefs were woven which have since figured in several 
world's fairs to the astonishment of all beholders. 

It is probably true that there is no natural product of Mexico and Central America which 
so well repays intelligent industry as fibre plants, of which there is an inexhaustible supply, 
while the demand throughout the world is unfailing. However wars, panics, and monetary 
depressions may affect other industries, the nations of the earth must be clothed and fed, and 

the great land products must be transported. By the use of 
fibre-made sacking, twine, and cordage these are prepared 
for transportation, and test and experiment prove these 
articles very useful. During the last decade the amount 
of henequin and ixtle exported from Mexico has increased 
tenfold. Already they assume the second place on the ex- 
port list, precious metals coming first. 

In addition to these fibre products, it has been demon- 
strated that India jute can be grown to better advantage 
here than in the Orient. It is made into portieres, cur- 
tains, furniture linings, etc. And now that the brilliant 
colors and beautiful finish of silk are imparted to it, some 
hemp fabrics vie with the choicest products of Persian 
looms. 

In the state there are four railways, one broad-gauge 
and the others narrow-g-auore. The first named has a total 
of seventy-five miles in operation ; the others average each 
about sixty miles completed, and are in active course of 
construction. They are owned and operated exclusively by 
natives. Tariffs for passengers and freights are about one- 
half the rates charged for local business by the railways of the United States. 

Except wheat, rye, and small grain, almost any plant thrives here when the seasons are 
favorable, but the principal products are corn, beans, sugar, and hemp. The latter is phenome- 
nally hardy, and flourishes almost as well without as with rain ; but corn, beans, and sugar 
require irrigation. 

The passenger for Yucatan usually comes from the north by water and lands in the Broad- 
way of Yucatan's principal port, Progreso. Groups of dark-faced men lounge idly in shaded 
doorways, and women in garments of spotless white are squatted along the curbstone with 




Castle, Chichen-Tija. 



YUCATAN 07, 

bowls of cooked meat for sale or tamales red-hot with grease and garlic. There are a tiny 
market-place lull of fruits and fish, and a big railway station walled with latticework. There 
IS a hotel, a stone structure with thatched roof whose ground floor is used for a stable, the 
whole space above being one long, unpartitioned sleeping apartment, in which transient guests 
may hang their hammocks upon waiting hooks. Progreso's custom-house is a handsome\uild- 
mg, as modern architecture goes in Yucatan, and your luggage is not usually subjected to very 
rigorous mspection, there being manifestly little temptation to the smuggler in this outlying 
territory of Mexico. The population is a little less than two thousand. The place is a shipping- 
point, and nobody lives there unless compelled to.- Just back of it are fever-breeding swamps 
full of decaying vegetation. Yet swarms of pleasure-seekers from Merida and other interior 
towns come to Progreso for sea-bathing during a certain portion of every year. The main 
harbor of Yucatan was formerly Sisal, on the northeast coast, which gave its name to the hemp 
for which the country is famous ; but the requirements of increasing commerce long since 
transferred the harbor to Progreso. And unprepossessing as it is, the litde town of Progreso 
is of much importance, for it is the shipping-point of vast quantities— in fact, all— of the "sisal- 
fibre of Yucatan. 

The railroad to Merida, while scarcely comparable to other systems in Mexico, is far from 
poor. On^ leaving Progreso it crosses a large lagoon which extends for many miles just inside 
the coast-line. This is at certain times of the year a great resort for the wild fowl of the 
north, and is a sportsman's paradise. The railway then passes through great sisal planta- 
tions, with here and there a palm-surrounded house relieving the monotony. The fields are 
all walled with stone, solidly built, showing industry and thrift. Frequenriy groups of Indians, 
men, women, and children, always dressed in white, gaze curiously at the passing train and 
start nervously when the whistle blows. Evidently the iron horse has not ceased to excite 
their wonder and fear. 

Sailing due east from Progreso, one passes from the open sea into the Yucatan Channel, 
which connects the Mexican Gulf with the Caribbean Sea. The harbors are few along these 
imoccupied coasts, and for many miles there is little to be seen. Blue-green white-capped 
billows stretch away to the horizon, with a monotonous line of sandy beach on one side, broken 
by occasional dark patches of forest, with here and there a rugged mound or a pyramid over- 
grown with verdure indicating the site of some prehistoric city. M. Charney states that he 
"found the country covered with ruins from end to end." Stephens says that he visited forty- 
four ruined cities, most of which were endrely unknown to white men before his coming, even 
to the people of Yucatan, and that in all the cities he found relics of wealth and architecture 
and advanced civilization. Baldwin in his "Ancient America" says that near all the principal 
ruins are traces of beautifully constructed artificial lakes, the bottoms of which were made of 
flat stones laid in cement several layers deep. There are also numerous remains of a veiy 
ancient paved road, raised above the graded level of the ground and very smooth. It ran 
north and south, and doubtless led to other cities in the unknown interior, perhaps greater ones 
than any yet discovered. It is now many years since Stephens's visit to Yucatan, and only 
twenty-six more ruins have been added to his list, while the whole interior is still a literal terra 
incognita. 

Yalahau is an insignificant port, but is celebrated in Mexican annals as a resort of old-time 
buccaneers. Its harbor commands a wide view both up and down the gulf so that all vessels 
passing from Cuba and the Spanish main could be critically studied at a safe distance by the 
pirates, most of whom were " leading citizens" of Yalahau and owned sugar-plantations in the 



374 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



neighborhood. The village consists of a single street of cane-stalk cottages elevated a few 
feet above tide-water, both the town and the swamp behind it being completely hidden under 
oTOves of palm and cocoanut. Cut off from communication with the outer world and con- 
nected with the interior only by dangerous and toilsome roads, the little hamlet is about as 
independent as a separate republic. Time was when golden doubloons were more plentiful in 
Yalahau than pennies are now. There is a disused fortress here which the federal government 
built and garrisoned for the suppression of piracy, but the soldiers soon joined hands with 
the free-hearted brigands whom they had been sent to capture and shared their pleasures and 
plunder. The only stone house in the village is the residence of the present alcalde, and used 
to be the head-quarters of the buccaneers. Here unlucky captives were sometimes held as 




Las Monjas, Uxmal. 

hostages, and if ransom were slow in coming, a finger, a toe, or an ear was sent to hurry up the 
relatives, followed by larger portions of the victim if the first instalment did not bring speedy 
returns. The old house stands so close to the sea that restless waves have washed away part 
of the foundation. 

The island of Cozumel is one of the most interesting spots in the vicinity. It was discovered 
by Juan de Grijalva in 1518, and Cortez set sail for it in the following year. Eight years after- 
ward Montejo came with four hundred soldiers and took possession of the island, which is 
about thirty miles long, is now almost uninhabited, and is covered with a dense growth of trees 
and tangled creepers. Its name signifies in the Indian tongue " the place of swallows." The 
Spaniards declared that on this island they found a populous city "composed of stone houses, 
white and lofty." Many vestiges of ancient inhabitants are still visible. Not more than two 



VC/CA TAN 



375 



1 



7*T^ff':~T-'f 



hundred feet from the sea, visible above the tree-tops from the decks of passing vessels, is 
a magnificent relic, a structure sixteen feet square standing on a terrace, with exterior of plain 
stone stuccoed. It has stone steps on each side leading up to four doorways that face the 
cardinal points and open into narrow corridors encompassing a small room. Near it is a similar 
structure, upon which the remains of paintings are visible under a queer triangular arch. 

A little north of Cozumel, about five miles from the coast of Yucatan, is Isla de Mujeres 
(Women's Island), a tiny speck in the Caribbean Sea, only six miles long by half as wide. It is 
not a resort of the omnipresent "new woman" of to-day (who is not, by the way, objectionably 
present in Mexico), but I venture to assert that more astonishing things are crowded upon it — 
suggestions of strange doings in far-away centuries — than can be found in any other place of 
equal size. Cortez's soldiers named it Women's Island because in the four great temples which 
they found here all the idols 
represented colossal female fig- 
ures. The island is singularly 
beautiful, encompassed by the 
green-blue sea. Mangrove- and 
cocoanut-trees crowd to the 
water's edge, except where 
broken by tiny clearings around 
the palm-leaf hut of some 
fisherman. Turtle-catching is 
quite a business here. Three 
kinds abound : the cahuamo, 
whose eggs serve for food, its 
carcass being useful only for 
oil ; the tortuga, of w^hich both 
the meat and the eggs are 
eaten, and whose shell is worth 
twenty-five cents a pound ; and 
the jare, whose shell sells for 
eight dollars a pound. 

Another interesting spot, 
about thirty miles from Merida, is the village of Tixkokob. It has a fine old church, and the 
quaintest cemetery ever seen. All around its outer walls rows of skulls are arranged ; skulls 
grin along the arms of the crosses with which the interior space is thickly set, and several 
huge vases are piled high with the same ghastly relics. In the middle is a promiscuous heap of 
human bones several feet deep. Inside the walls, dangling from cords fastened to the top, are 
baskets and boxes and bundles, each containing a skeleton, appropriately labelled. Everywhere 
there are fragments of shrouds, shoes that have dropped from fleshless feet, arms, legs, trunks 
to which dried flesh still adheres, and scores of skulls with hair still clinging to them, in some 
cases the long beautiful tresses of women. Inside the church the floor is a series of trap-doors, 
each coverine a vault filled to the brim with former citizens of Tixkokob. In the choir of this 
church and on all the window-ledges are more skulls, each labelled on the forehead, and some 
of them bearing startling inscriptions. On All Souls' Day (November 2) all these skulls are 
placed upon a black-draped dais surrounded by lighted candles, and mass is said and incense 
burned and holy water sprinkled amid the prayers of the people. 




Mount Sebatsche. 



Zl^ 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Valladolid is a very old town, and was once the most flourishing centre of trade on the 
peninsula. It lies on the line of the railway, about one hundred miles southeast from Merida. 
Half a century ago the first cotton-mill of the country was erected here, and several manufac- 
tories flourished. Here the bishop made his residence, as well as some of the proudest Cas- 
tilian families of New Spain, whose coats of arms may still be seen upon the fronts of tenantless 
casas. The last great uprising of the natives occurred almost fifty years ago, and inflicted 
injuries from which Valladolid will never recover, for, besides actual murder, rapine, and confla- 
oration, the Indians left such terror behind, threatening to come again, that the remaining citizens 




Facade of Las Monjas, Uxmal. 

fled to safer quarters. The population is now less than ten thousand, after half a century of 
cornparative peace, and lands close by, the best in Yucatan, may be bought for twenty cents 
an acre. 

Founded soon after the Spanish conquest, Valladolid was built in a style commensurate 
with the wild dreams of the conquistadores, and bears marks of ancient grandeur. But deso- 
lation now broods over it. The central plaza, where hidalgos and ladies of high degree were 
wont to promenade to the accompaniment of moonlight and music, is now ankle-deep in sand, 
its benches of crumbling stone overrun with scorpions, centipedes, and lizards, and its ancient 
palms and elms too ragged to cast a shade. At one side of it is an enormous parochial church, 
with convent and cloisters, fast falling into decay. There are other large churches, — Sisal, San 
Serircio, San Juan de Dios, Santa Lucia, Santa Anna, and Candelaria, — all dilapidated. Most 
of the private houses show the same signs. In the principal street — the Calle de Sisal — are 
extensive crevices in walls with the coats of arms of forgotten families emblazoned on them. 



YUCATAN 



377 



According to tradition, Valladolid has been the theatre of remarkable events. It is asserted that 
\tT^T T- '"'"^^' '^ ^ '""°" °f ^he worst character, which even no "spoken of 

P easrils I h "^^ ;"' '"""""^'^ '" '^' ""^^ "^ ^ P^'-'-^^- ^" fact he carried his 

foTnvX d ' '" "''"' '"'' ""^' ^"""^'^ ^° troublesome, that the bishop was obli^^ed 

^. in. he de^rin'r;"" '"r "'' ^'^ ^°'"''"^^' ^"^^'^^'^ °^ ^^^^'^ -^ heaven^succeedecf in 
o sting the devil and driving h,m to the woods. The records go on to state that this demon 

after having been thus banished from Gulciba and several other tillages, returned to Va^^^^^^^^^ 




Municipal Palace, Merida, 



With new schemes, but was finally barred out altogether by the device of surrounding the town 

Tnd toT'7 . "°"", ""'."'T '""^'''''^ °" ^'^^ ^''^-^°P'^- '^hese the devil couW not pass 
and to this day there are hundreds of wooden crosses standing guard around Valladolid ' 

Before the days of Valladolid's decline most of the largest land proprietors and •' substantial 
citizens generally were opposed to separation from Mexico, while the bulk of the population 
-those who owned no property and had nothing to lose-raised a cry for " libertad " which to 
them meant license. After independence was achieved another agitation arose, as to whether 
Yucatan should again become part of Mexico or form a separate republic, and local feelina 
ran high. Both factions invoked aid from the natives, placed arms in their hands, and filled 
heir ears with promises. When quiet was restored, these offers of reward were forgotten 
r^ 1 tT ''•''". T'""^"^ empty-handed. But they retained their arms and the know- 
ledge they had gamed of warfare, all of which they turned to account against the whites at the 
first opportunity. In 1847, when an imbroglio arose between Merida and Campeche the 



378 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



revengeful Indians saw their chance. With fire and sword they swept the eastern part of the 
peninsula, obliterating every town and village in their course, and nearly destroying Valladolid, 
which had then a population of twenty thousand or more. Remembering the centuries of 
wrono- endured by their fathers, they entered upon a war of extermination. They possessed 
themselves of more and more territory in the northern, eastern, and southern portions of the 
peninsula, ravaging the country, pillaging, burning, murdering. The terrified Creoles, huddled 

together at Merida, appealed to 
the United States, to Spain, and 
at last to the republic of which 
they had declined to become a 
part, Mexico. Just having con- 
cluded her war with the United 
States, the latter sent troops 
to Yucatan, and gradually the 
Indians were driven into the 
interior. By calling on Mexico 
for aid, Yucatan lost her place 
as an independent republic, 
and soon after she became one 
of the states of the Mexican 
federation. 

According to the popular 
legend, Quetzalcoatl (the ser- 
pent, or twin, with peacock or 
trogon feathers), a mythical per- 
sonage, went out from Yucatan 
to the region about Panuco and. appeared to the Huastecas in a long white robe and holding_ 
a staff. He introduced the honors belonging to the cross, taught 'the people many arts, and 
instituted a form of worship, finally returning to Yucatan. In the mythology of Yucatan, how- 
ever, he was called Cuculcan, and they make him return to Mexico. At any rate, although the 
accounts of him vary, he was ultimately honored as a god, and his religious ideas extended 
throughout the old Mexican empire. Probably he was the Aztec prototype of the Messiah. 

Still unconquered, these Indians hold all Southeastern Yucatan, and for upward of forty 
years they have been in armed rebellion against the government. Numerically they are 
probably less than a thousand, but what they lack in number they make up in ferocity. They 
are not of the same race as the timid Indians about Merida, — patient hewers of wood and 
drawers of water, whose ancestors perhaps built the magnificent temples which are scattered 
all over the country. The yet unconquered tribe is probably descended from the Caribs, — 
cannibal savages who once possessed the Mosquito coast, the Spanish main, and the southern 
islands of the West Indies. The wildest stories are told of their atrocious cruelties. The 
chief tribe, Chan Santa Cruz, has a city or stronghold of the same name somewhere in South- 
eastern Yucatan, supposed to lie between thirty and forty miles west of Ascension Bay and fifty 
miles below Lake Bacalar. No white person has seen the city of Chan Santa Cruz, or, if he 
has, he has never returned to tell the tale. It is supposed that its citizens practise the aborigi- 
nal arts and retain the aboriginal customs, with some borrowed from their civilized neighbors. 
They have strict laws, and any shortcoming is severely punished, the murderer of a Chan Santa 




Juarez Penitentiary, Merida. 



YUCATAN 37^ 



Cruzan being executed in exactly the same manner as he inflicted death upon his victim As 
a rule they are monogamists, and their besetting sin is drunkenness. They have always much 
corn m store, and m tn.es of drought, when Yucatan has been threatened with famine, they 
have sold some to the whites at exorbitant prices. 

For many years Yucatan has been the Siberia of Mexico, to which are sent offenders whom 
the government does not know what else to do with, since the amended constitution practically 
does away with capital punishment. Consequently Chan Santa Cruz includes amono- its hetero- 
geneous population many people not of Indian blood.-negro slaves, escaped convicts, Chinese 
and castaways and outlaws of various colors and nationalities 

_ It seems almost incredible that next door to the United States, within less than a week's 
journey from New York or Chicago, is a section of country almost unknown to Europeans 
whose unconquered people still live as their progenitors did before the Chrisdan era ; and even 
more incredible is it that the powerful Mexican nation, which claims that bit of territor3^ knows 
as little about it. The greater pordon of the peninsula is a terra incognita, of which white men 
know absolutely nothing beyond what may be seen along the coast and gathered from Indian 
tradition. Ihe Rio Hondo forms the boundary between it and Belize, a few nameless streams 
flow into the Caribbean Sea, and beyond the dense forests that girdle the coast is a oreat 
central desert, crossed by a ridge of unknown hills. Between the forest belt and the coasi are 
undulating tracts where corn, tobacco, rice, and sugar-cane are grown and cattle are raised in 
such numbers as to furnish exports of hides and salted meats next in value to the export of the 
nbre industry. ^ 

To the uninitiated, perhaps, there seems little in Yucatan to attract the average tourist yet 
many world-famous savants have spent years there in enthusiastic and well-rewarded research 
Scattered all over the country are remains of stupendous and richly carved edifices and won- 
derful monuments of vanished people, and the very air seems filled with the mystery of the 
melancholy of /.. antigicos. And yet how many people realize that some of the most won- 
wu / u° ^"^'^"'^>^ °" the face of the earth lie within a week's journey of New York? 
Why do archsologists pursue their quest everywhere else on the globe, when here are remains 
more curious than those of Pompeii and Herculaneum, older than those of the Aztecs in Mexico 
and the Incas in Peru ? 

Yucatan is a part of Mexico that is posidvely disdnct and rare, cut off as it is at the 
eastern point of the crescent gulf We could not help nodcing a similarity in features between 
the Japanese and the Mexicans as found in Yucatan, although E. H. Thompson, formeriy United 
States consul of Merida, an archaeologist of reputadon, inclines to the opinion that there is no 
such relationship and that the first setriers came from the other side of the Atlantic 
_ The governor of Yucatan is Senor Lie. Carios Peon, under whose administration the state 
is making rapid strides toward modern advancement. Senor Peon, being a very wealthy man 
himself does not have to limit enterprises of importance by the conditfon of the treasury, in 
the state he governs so wisely and so well. 



38o PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XLIV 

CITIES AND INHABITANTS; PECULIARITIES OF THE INDIANS; SOME NOBLE 
FAMILIES; LITERATURE OF MEXICO; FOLK-LORE. 

/^^^■i^HERE are now twenty-eight states and two territories, and it is estimated that there 

m 1 are more than eleven million inhabitants, about three-eighths of whom belong 

■L^ 1 y to the pure Indian race, while the rest is made up of mixtures of Spanish and 

^^1^ Indian, with a few hundreds of thousands of pure Spanish origin and still fewer of 

other foreign elements. 

There are in the country three cities of more than one hundred thousand inhabitants : 
Mexico, in the federal district, with three hundred and fifty thousand ; Guadalajara, in Jalisco, with 
one hundred and five thousand ; and Puebla, in the state of the same name, which has slightly 
over the limit figure. Guanajuato has over fifty thousand people. Of cities having more than 
twenty thousand inhabitants there are sixteen, — from Leon, with fifty thousand, to Celaya, in 
the same state, with twenty-one thousand. 

There are supposed to be seven castes in Mexico, which are kept distinct. First, the 
Gachupino, or Spaniards born in Europe ; second, the Creoles, — that is, whites of European 
family born in America ; third, the Mesdzos ; fourth, the Mulattoes, descendants of whites and 
negroes, of whom there are a few ; fifth, the Zambos, descendants of negroes and Indians, the 
ugliest race in Mexico ; sixth, the Indians ; and seventh, the remains of the African negroes. 

Of pure Indians, Humboldt in his day calculated that there existed two millions and a half 
in New Spain (without counting Mestizos), and they are probably very little altered from the 
inferior Indians as Cortez found them. The principal families perished at the time of the con- 
quest. The priests, sole depositaries of knowledge, were put to death, the manuscripts and hiero- 
glyphical paintings were burnt, and the remaining Indians fell into a state of ignorance and 
degradation from which they have never emerged. The rich Indian women preferred marrying 
their Spanish conquerors to allying themselves with the degraded remnant of their countrymen, 
— poor artisans, workmen, porters, etc., — of whom Cortez speaks as filling the streets of the 
great cities and as being considered litde better than beasts of burden ; nearly naked in the tierra 
caliente, dressed pretty much as they are now in the temperate parts of the country, and every- 
where with nearly the same manners and habits and customs as they now have, but especially in 
the more distant villages, where they have little intercourse with the other classes. Even in their 
religion, Christianity, as I observed before, seems to be formed of the ruins of their mythology ; 
and all the festivities of the Church, their fireworks and images and gay dresses, harmonize com- 
pletely with their childish love of show, and are, in fact, their greatest source of delight. To buy 
these they save up all their money, and when you give a penny to an Indian child it trots off 
to buy crackers as a white one would to buy candy. Attempts have been made by their curates 
to persuade them to omit the celebration of certain days, and to expend less in the ceremonies 



PECULIARITIES OF THE INDIANS 



^8 1 



of others, but the indignation and discontent which such proposals have caused have induced 
the Church to desist. 

Under an appearance of stupid apathy they veil a great depth of cunning. They are grave 
and gentle and rather sad in their appearance when not under the influence of pulque ; but 
when they return to their villages in the evening, and have taken a drop of comfort, their white 
teeth light up their bronze countenances like lamps, and the girls especially make the air ring 
with their laughter, which is very musical. Their smile is extremely gentle, and the expression 
of their eyes very severe. As they have no beard, if it were not for a litde moustache which 
they frequently wear there would be scarcely any difference between the faces of men and 
women. 

The Indians In and near the capital are, according to Humboldt, either the descendants 
of the former laborers or remains of noble Indian families who, disdaining to intermarry with 
their Spanish conquerors, prefvirred to till the ground which their vassals formerly cultivated for 

them. It is said that these In- 
dians of noble race, though to 
the vulgar eye indistinguishable 
from their fellows, are held in 
great respect by their inferior 
countrymen. In Cholula, par- 
ticularly, there are still caciques 
with lonor Indian names, also in 
Tlaxcala, and, though barefooted 
and ragged, they are said to pos- 
sess great hidden wealth. But it 
is neither in nor near the capital 
that we can see the Indians to 
perfection in their original state. 
It is only by travelling through 
the provinces. The Metis reside 
by preference in the great cen- 
tres of population, where they 
work at all sorts of trades. 
They are also scattered through- 
out the country, engaged in its development as employees in the agricultural, mining, and 
manufacturing lines. Nearly all the working class is from this group. Spanish, mixed with 
provincialisms and words of Indian origin, forms their language. 

The working class shows its intelligence and activity in printing, bookbinding, carpentry, 
cabinet-making, blacksmithing, turning, wood- and stone-carving, hat- and shoe-making, and the 
spinning and weaving of cotton, silk, and wool. Its members have a somewhat advanced social 
organization. 

While the Indians have preserved their customs, diametrically opposite to those of the 
other two races, there is a very notable change for the worse in those of them who live near 
the great centres ; but most of them who live in the mountainous districts have preserved in all 
their purity the ancient customs and the primitive language. Their general bearing and their 
brilliant clothing, and above all their cleanliness, greatly distinguish them from the degenerate 
Indians of the central plateau. 




The Main Canal at Tlaiiualilo, Durakgo. 



382 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

In some districts, as in the fertile regions of the Sierra, they preserve their imitative dances 
of the Cegador, Tehuacanzi, and Zempoa Ixochitl. During certain rehgious ceremonies they 
execute their dances in the churches before the most venerated images, as, for example, that of 
the Virgin of Guadalupe. 

The Indian in general likes fermented drinks ; but he is brave and sober, and shows these 
good qualities whether as a hunter in the ravines of the sierras or as an intrepid soldier going 
into battle after a severe march of sixty miles. His robust countenance explains why, despite a 
frugal and often insufficient diet, and in defiance of hygiene, piled pell-mell in cramped and damp 
huts, so many reach a very advanced age. 

The numbers of these natives who, thanks to education, have become notable in office and 
in the Church, prove beyond all question that they can reach, like members of the white race, 
a high degree of civilization. 

The degeneracy of some of the Indian tribes proceeds from several causes, among which 
may be mentioned too early marriages. Pestilence has decimated them, and wars and a mixture 
with the white and Metis races have aided in wiping them out. 

Their minds are affected by the same variety of passions as are the people of other nations, 
but not in an equal degree. Mexicans seldom exhibit those transports of anger or frenzies 
of love which are so common in other countries ; they are slow in their motions, and show a 
wonderful tenacity and steadiness in those Avorks which require time and long-continued 
attention. 

They are patient of injury and hardship, and where they suspect no evil intention are most 
grateful for any kindness. 

They are by nature taciturn, serious, and austere, and show more anxiety to punish crimes 
than to reward virtues. Generosity and perfect disinterestedness are the principal features of 
their character. Gold with the Mexicans has not the value which it seems to possess else- 
where. They give without reluctance what has cost them the utmost labor to acquire. The 
respect paid by children to parents and by the young to the old seems to be a feeling born 
with them. Parents are very fond of their children also. 

Courage and cowardice alternate in their minds, so that it is often difficult to determine 
which predominates. They meet dangers with intrepidity. Their singular attachment to the 
external ceremonies of religion is very apt to degenerate into superstition, as happens among 
the ignorant of all nations of the world, but that they are prone to idolatry is nothing more 
than a chimera formed in the brains of ignorant persons. The customs of a few mountaineers 
are not sufficient to justify an aspersion upon a whole people. To conclude, the character of 
the Mexican Indian is a mixture of good and bad. 

Many Mexican families of noble lineage can point to a family history dating back to the 
eight hundred years' war against the Moors, when their ancestors were ennobled for gallantry 
or services to the kings. There are living many families of noble descent who cherish their 
titles in secret and hold aloof from the mass of the people. Some of these ancient families are 
wealthy, being still possessed of great estates. The newer families are the descendants of 
successful soldiers, who stood somewhat in the same relation to the old aristocracy as did the 
marshals and generals of Napoleon I. to the old French nobility. Consequently, when we 
talk of an American aristocracy we should look to Mexico for the best and most genuine 
specimens. 

Descendants of Hernando Cortez exist, some bearing his name ; one gentleman of this 



SOME NOBLE FAMILIES 



583 



race and name, a man of cultivation and refinement, is living to-day in Tacubaya. Descendants 
of Santa Anna also live in Tacubaya. 

Descendants of presidents constitute another sort of aristocracy. In fact, service to the 
state in high place seems always to give one's family and descendants a claim on popular con- 
sideration and respect. 

Every little while interesting information regarding the descendants of the Aztec monarchs 
is made public, and, as the people who sprang from the earliest known monarchy on the soil of 
North America, they may rightfully claim precedence socially. The young son of Don Luis G. 
Sierra y Horcasitas and his wife 
Senora Maria Dolores Abadi- 
ano, Roberto Luis Cuauhtemoc, 
is the fourteenth in descent from 
the Emperor Cuitlahuac, al- 
though it is disputed that he is 
descended from the last Aztec 
monarch, the ill-fated and heroic 
Emperor Cuauhtemoc, whose 
statue adorns the Paseo de la 
Reforma. 

Cuitlahuac, from whom the 
boy referred to descends, and 
Montezuma II. were brothers of 
Matlazinca, the cacique of Coyoa- 
can. Among the descendants of 
Cuitlahuac are Don Pedro Patino 
Itzolinque, who lives in Holland, 
and another Don Pedro Patino 
Itzolinque, who is a soldier in 
the state of San -Luis Potosi. 

As is known, Cuauhtemoc was the son of the Emperor Ahuizoti, son of Axayacatl, and 
consequently a nephew of Montezuma IL He married the princess Tecuichpocli, a daughter of 
Montezuma. 

It is sufficient to know that there are many well-proved descendants of the Aztec monarchs 
living and borne on the pension-roll of the Mexican government. Some of them reside in 
Spain and other European countries, among them being the Duke of Abrantes, the Marquis 
del Aguilar Fuerte, and the Count of Miravalles. 

In this connection it is of interest to note that the direct descendants of Montezuma are 
living to-day, and boast a family tree which reaches back to the fourteenth century. They reside 
at Salamanca, in Spain. They have not a large fortune, but possess sufficient means to enable 
them to appear at court. The present head of the family is Seiior Don Agustin Maldonado y 
Carbajal Cano Montezuma, Marquis of Castellanos and of Monroy. There are three children, 
— two sons and a daughter. The latter is the widow of the Count de Monterron, who was one 
of the principal noblemen in the Basque provinces. The Countess of Monterron, notwith- 
standing her large fortune and high position, has followed a scientific career, and is prominent 
in Spanish educational work. Of the two sons, Don Fernando is a lawyer and a deputy and 
Don Jose is an eminent musician. The Maldonado familv is connected by m.arriage with the 




Hacienda of Zaragoza, Tlahualilo, Durango. 



3S4 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Eno-lish house of Lancaster, and also with the houses of Abrantes and Medlnaceli, which are of 
the first nobility in Spain. The Marchioness de Castellanos has furnished a genealogical tree 
of the family showing the lineage from the Emperor Montezuma to the Maldonados of the 
present day. It is as follows : 



Montezuma I. (king in 1469) = 

1 . . 

Princess Atotoztli ^= Prince Tezozomoctli. 



Axayacatl ^ Princess Azcalochitl. 



I 

Cuitlahuac. 



Princess Teotlalico ^= Montezuma II. (king in 1502). 



Princess Tecuichpocli, afterward baptized Isatel de Montezuma, ^ (ist) Alonso de Grado. No issue. 

= (2d) Pedro Gallego. 



Juan Gallego de Montezuma. 



Pedro Cano de Montezuma. 



I 
Gonzalo Cano de Montezuma. 



■ (3<i) Jua" Cano de Saavedra. 



Isabel Cano de Montezuma. 



Catalina Cano de Montezuma. 



Juan Cano de Montezuma := Dona Elvira de Toledo. 
: Mariana de Carbajal. 



Juan Cano Montezuma Toledo 



r 



Juan Cano Montezuma Carbajal : 



r 



Mariana Cano Montezuma Pizarro ^ Alvaro de Vivero. 

r Juan Carbajal y Landa. 



Maria Vivero Cano Montezuma 



Bernardino Carbajal Cano Montezuma ; 



Juan Carbajal Carbajal Lancaster Cano Montezuma^ Francisca Zuniga Enriquez Fernandez de Cordova. 

; Maria Micaela de Gonzaga. 



Manuel Bernardino Carbajal Zuniga Cano Montezuma 



Angel Carbajal Gonzaga Cano Montezuma 



Angel Carbajal Maria Fernandez de Cordoba Cano Montezuma 



Manuela Carbajal Tellez Giron Cano Montezuma 



Isabel Maria Antcnia Pizarro. 



Maria Josefa Lancaster. 



Maria Vicenta Fernandez de Cordoba. 
Manuela Isidra Tellez Girou. 
Jose Maldonado y Acebes. 



Agustin Maldonado y Carbajal Cano Montezuma, the present Marquis de Castellanos. 



Amono- other descendants of Montezuma is Eugenie de Guzman y Porto-Carrero, the 
ex-Empress of the French, — a fact not known generally. It is therefore apparent that the wife 
of Napoleon III. was of older imperial stock than her husband, and brought to the alliance 
more dignity than she acquired by it. 

In the city of Mexico there is a gentleman by the name of Mercado who is a descendant 
of Montezuma, a very intelligent person, who has preserved many relics of his illustrious 
ancestors, and is extremely well versed in the family history of the Montezuma race. 

Amone the older famous men of Mexico were Hidalgro, Morelos, and Matamoros, accounts 
of whom have been given elsewhere in this volume. The earliest of Mexico's famous men, 
whose fame has come down through several hundred years, were the Montezumas. Monte- 
zuma was the name (Monctegumatin, the sad or severe man) of two emperors of ancient Mexico. 



SOME NOBLE FAMILIES 385 

Montezuma I. was born about 1390, and died in 1464. After his accession in 1436 or 1438 he 
made war upon the kingdom of Chalco in defence of his aUies the Tezcucans. The Chalcos 
were routed in a great battle, and their chief city was entirely destroyed. A war followed with 
the king of Tlatelolco, who was defeated and killed. Montezuma next conquered ihe province 
of Cuihixcas, and subsequently that of Tzompahuacan. In a war with Atonaltzin, a chief of 
the Mixtecas, he suffered reverses which led to a confederacy between Atonaltzin and the 
Huexotzincas and Tlaxcalans against the Mexicans ; but Montezuma in his first encounter with 
them gained a signal victory, which greatly enlarged his empire. In 1457 he conquered Cuet- 
lachtan, a province on the Mexican gulf, and carried six thousand two hundred of the people 
to Mexico, where they were sacrificed to the god of war. 

Montezuma II., the last of the Aztec emperors, was born about 1480, succeeded his uncle 
Ahuitzotl in 1502, and was killed June 30, 1520. He was both a soldier and a priest, and had 
taken an active part in the wars of his predecessor. When his election to the imperial dignity 
was announced to him he was sweeping the stairs of the great temple of Mexico. At the com- 
mencement of his reign he led a successful expedition against a rebellious province and brought 
back a multitude of captives to be sacrificed at his coronation. For several years he was con- 
stantly at war, and his campaigns, which extended as far as Honduras and Nicaragua, were 
generally successful. He made important changes in the internal administration of the empire, 
especially in the courts of justice, and became noted for strictness and severity in the execution 
of the laws, as well as for munificence to those who served him and in his expenditures for 
public works. He became equally noted also for arrogance, pomp, and luxury, and his heavy 
taxes led to many revolts. At the time of the arrival of Cortez in Mexico, in 15 19, Montezuma 
was alarmed not only by the internal troubles of his empire, but also by the appearance of 
comets and other strange lights in the sky and of mysterious fires in the great temple, which the 
seers interpreted as omens of the approaching downfall of the empire. Thus disheartened, he 
did not meet the invasion of the Spaniards with his usual energy. He at first forbade the white 
men to approach his capital, and then sent an embassy to welcome them. When Cortez entered 
Mexico (November 8) he was received by Montezuma with courtesy and apparent good will, and 
at first he treated the emperor with the greatest deference, but a collision between the Mexicans 
and a Spanish garrison at Vera Cruz soon afforded a pretext for a change of measures. At the 
end of a week after his arrival he waited upon Montezuma with a few of his officers under pre- 
tence of a friendly visit, and, after upbraiding him with the transaction at Vera Cruz, took him 
captive and carried him to the Spanish head-quarters. The emperor, fearing instant death if he 
made any opposition, assured his subjects, who were about to attempt a rescue as he passed 
through the streets, that he accompanied the Spaniards of his own free will. Montezuma was 
for a while put in irons, and was so completely humbled that when Cortez offered to liberate 
him he declined to return to his palace, apparently ashamed to be seen by his nobles. He was 
subsequently induced to swear allegiance to the King of Spain, and was kept a prisoner for 
seven months, till, in June, 1520, the people of the capital rose in insurrection and besieged the 
Spaniards in their quarters. He was induced by Cortez to address his subjects from the battle- 
ments of his prison in hopes of appeasing the tumult, but, though at first listened to with respect, 
his appeals in behalf of the white men at length exasperated the Mexicans, a shower of missiles 
was discharged at him, a stone struck him on the temple, and he fell senseless. He refused all 
remedies and nourishment, tore off the bandages, and died in a few days. Some of the chil- 
dren of Montezuma became Christians and were carried to Spain. From them descended the 
counts of Montezuma, one of whom was Viceroy of Mexico from 1697 to 1701. 

25 



?86 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Do not imagine that because Mexico is a land of almost tropical languor, hitherto little 
comprehended by her northern neighbors, she has no taste for literature. No : when you make 
up a mental picture of Mexico and its tropical capital, do not leave out of it the men of books, 
the writers of prose and poetry, the ardent students of history, all the dwellers in that calm 
empire of the intellect where peace reigns alway. 

Poets, writers, and great orators are held in high esteem, as witness the honors paid to the 
remains of Altamirano, the Aztec orator and litterateur, deceased in Europe. The popular 
respect shown to the poet Guillermo Prieto, one of the signers of the constitution of 1857, 
a venerable man but full of intellectual vigor, is another proof of this. The ability to write 
well and to talk well is highly considered in Latin-American countries. 

Mexico is a land of book-readers. Among the upper classes a genuine love of literature 
is universal. Mexico is a good market for the best books of the modern literatures of France 




Ravine oi' Inherxillo, Interoceamc Railroad. 

and Spain. The lawyers and physicians and the old families of the landholding caste are great 
readers and buyers of costly editions. Nor must it be supposed that during the last genera- 
tion the people of Mexico have confined their attention and energies entirely to putting their 
fair country on a peaceful footing and insuring her material prosperity. On the contrary, in no 
country in the world has the race for wealth been more subordinated to the proper provision of 
facilities for intellectual development and enjoyment. Spain still feeds the intellectual appetite 
of Mexico, as in ancient days : shops which could not exist except for the presses of Madrid 
and Barcelona live and prosper. 

At the same time Mexico is producing, as she has for centuries produced, a literature of 



LITERATURE OF MEXICO 387 

her own. As far back as 1680 the Abbe Clavigero referred to previous Mexican historians to 
whom he was indebted, and King Nexahualcoyotl of Tezcuco, before the Spanish conquest, had 
written that wonderful poem on the " Mutability of Life." 

Among Mexican novelists one finds remarkably good descriptive power. Just as the 
country ot the Mexicans glows with color and intense life, so does their fiction and their poetry 
glow with fervid passion and feeling ; yet there is a tendency to epigrammatic terseness in 
sentence and paragraph. There is invariably a deep admiration for and a love of nature, 
expressed in the most beautiful of word-painting, and always there is intense patriotism with 
luminous force in the expression of it. 

Senor Irenio Paz, who is an editor as well as a novelist, may be taken as a fair sample of 
the modern Mexican writer. He has written a score or more of popular novels, in a simple, 
direct style that always appeals to his readers. Especially valuable are they for the pictures 
they contain of home-life among the Mexican people. 

Vicente Riva Palacio holds a first place, also, for the elegance and purity of his language. 
His prose is imbued with the spirit of poetry, and is full of delicate imagery and rhythmic force. 
This writer's tender and loving sympathy often overflows in descriptive passages of great 
beauty, and his scope of expression ranges from a spirit of gentle revery and limpid thought 
up to the richest exuberance of melodramatic intensity. His " Calvario y Tabor," for instance, 
is an historical novel covering the period of struggle which culminated in the overthrow of 
foreign power and the downfall of Maximilian, and treats of almost every possible range of 
emotions. It is a tale of the death-agony of the old empire and the transfiguration of the new 
republic, intermingled with the loves and romances of the people, their habits and hospitalities 
and supreme charity. The historical portions of the novel are superb, and here and there are 
remarkable thoughts forcibly expressed ; as, for instance, " Nations, like Christ, have their Tabor 
and their Calvary ; only, when the Son of God passed first to transfiguration and thence to the 
cross, it is the contrary with them, for nations are composed of mortals. The Spirit of God 
can alone support the sorrow of Calvary after the glory of Tabor." 

Ignacio Manuel Altamirano has been equally well known as orator and as author. His 
" Paisajes y Leyendas" of the custoir.s and traditions of Mexico is as marked for its temperate 
and even style as is Palacio' s work for vehemence and contrast. Confining himself principally to 
the religious festivals of the country, he gives us charming pictures of a primitive race carrying 
into their observance of Christian rites many suggestions of the more innocent forms of their 
old worship. He is evidently as widely read in the modern classics as El Periquillo Sarniento 
was in the ancient. French, English, German, — all literatures laid their flowers at his feet, and 
his versatile fancy culled from each in turn. 

Juan Mateos is famous not only at home but abroad. He has reached a point at which 
a man becomes a prophet in his own country. His brother authors quote him as they would 
Goethe or Lord Byron. His novels are mainly historical. In "El Cerro de las Campanas" 
he gives intense and dramatic expression to the story of the "Usurpation." With only 
a thread of narrative to sustain interest, he places before us a careful resume of the epi- 
sode of Maximilian. Being a dramatist as well as an artist, his actors naturally group them- 
selves upon the stage of history or fiction, and each succession of scenes culminates in a 
tableau. The rush and power of his expression sweep eloquently toward the author's con- 
clusion. 

Senor Ignacio Mariscal, the distinguished secretary of foreign affairs, is also a writer of 
great ability. He has translated into Spanish some of the choicest poems of our best American 



388 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

writers, and has written several noted works on the occult sciences. He is also a fine linguist, 
speaking fluently nearly half a dozen languages. 

Senor Matias Romero is likewise a writer of great distinction. 

The list of Mexican authors stretches almost indefinitely. Besides those already mentioned 
as novelists, Manuel Payno, Pedro Castera, Peon Contreras, Garcia Cubos, Vicente Morales, 
and Jose Maria Esteva are well known as brilliant and forcible writers. Upon more serious 
topics, whether of political or social importance, are writers like Zarco, Marlscal, Prieto, 
Baranda, Slliceo, Arriaga.Ocampo, Alcaraz, Lerdo, Montes, Zamacono, Yanes, and many others, 
who have contributed largely to the education of the people. 

As poets, a still greater number of popular and celebrated men and women find honorable 
place in the ranks. Gulllermo Prieto is probably best known in national songs of originality 
and patriotism. Jose Maria Esteva follows closely in giving e.xpression to the natural traits and 
habits of the country. Acuna, Luis G. Ortiz, Silva, Gutierrez-Najera, Dias-MIron, Covarrubias, 
Juan Valle, Eduardo Zarate, Francisco Colina, FIrso de Cordova, Apaplte Silva, Manuel 
Romero, Laureana Wright de Kleinhaus, Esther Fapla, Rosa Carreto, Refugio Argumeda de 
Ortiz, and Miguel Ulloa are poets not without honor In their own country. Justo Sierra, one 
of the most virile and forceful of singers, and Manuel Flores, by his tenderness and sweetness, 
have taken high rank among Spanish poets even outside their own country. In fact, almost 
every popular Mexican romancist Is also a popular poet. 

Among famous religious writers are Sister Juana de la Cruz, Senor Carpio-Pesado, Arango, 
Bishop Montesdeoca, and others. As dramatists, Gorostiza and Alarcon rank well among 
Spanish classics ; while Calderon, Rodriguez-Galvan, Chavero, Mateos, Contreras, Acuna, and 
others have produced much skilful and remarkable work. Senors Juan de Dios, Pesa and De 
las Rosas hold an enviable place as poets of home and domestic life. 

As linguists, Senors Marlscal, Altamlrano, Iscalbalceta, and Pimentel are best known, the 
latter having made important studies upon the Indian dialects of the country ; while Orozco y 
Berra In his " History of Ancient Mexico" has excelled all previous writers upon the same 
subject. The best author upon constitutional subjects, or those relating to political economy, 
is probably Senor Vallarta ; but each of these lists of authors could be reenforced by number- 
less names. 

However, enough have been given to prove that Mexico Is not behind other lands in the 
number of her literary workers. 

And this Is largely due to the fact that the Mexican people are great readers. The city of 
Mexico contains many large private libraries, and has been from the time of the conquest 
a city of book-lovers. Books were printed there before they were known in what Is now the 
United States. You smell the clean, pungent odor of printers' ink away back In the annals of 
the city of Mexico. There are hundreds of cultivated men in Mexico who live In the enchanted 
ground of literature, contented in retirement from politics and business, asking only an occu- 
pation that may give them a few hours' leisure every day to devote to their reading. 

Again, Mexico besides being the commercial and political centre of the country is the 
university town. Students one meets at every turn. Professors are numerous. And It requires 
more than twenty daily journals to satisfy the demand for the news. Whatever may have been 
true of the past, in these modern times a bookish Impress has been given to the people by the 
existence of the great government schools, where thousands of youth from all over the republic 
are being educated. Public Instruction, which is of the utmost Importance, and is so considered 
by all in authority, is favored by the happy influence of peace, thanks to which schools have 



LITERATURE OF MEXICO 



389 



multiplied, the number of pupils increased, and civilization triumphed, and the nation is enjoying 
therein the fruits of an educated people. 

What a difference is presented to-day in the picture of public instruction, sheltered under 
the mantle of peace, compared with that which was offered during the times of political agitation 
and revolution ! This interesting feature, and the principal and most solid foundation^of the 
future prosperity of this country receives each day further development, thanks to the vigorous 
impulse impressed upon it from all sides. While public authorities in all branches, moved by 
generous emulation, have made living and enduring souvenirs of their occupancy of office, this 
IS particidarly the case with the department of public instruction. Outside of the great cities 
the academy diffuses the light of civilization, and even in the smallest hamlets public and private 
schools extend the knowledge of the people in every useful department. Primary instruction 
is given almost everywhere. In all the largest municipalities the governments either directly 
support or subsidize a great number of these establishments. Many schools the creation of 
which is due to private initiative are endowed by indi\-iduals or are under the direction and 
surveillance of beneficiary societies, such as tlie Lancasterian and the Catholic. 

The reforms of public instruction became, as it were, general in the principal states, 
such as Puebla, Vera Cruz, 
Nuevo Leon, Colima, Guana- 
juato, etc., the governors of 
which could not but cherish the 
idea of such reforms and of in- 
stituting normal schools, which 
are already yielding their fruit 
in the republic. Among the 
governors who have distin- 
guished themselves in matters 
relating to education are ex- 
president of the republic Gen- 
eral Don Juan N. Mendez, the 
late General Juan Enriquez, Gil- 
dardo Gomez, General Manuel 
Gonzalez, and others. 

Among the important labors 
in behalf of public instruction 
of Minister Baranda, who all 
through General Diaz's adminis- 
tration has worked incessantly 
to effect radical reforms in the Mexican modern educational system, enabling the common 
people especially to look better to their future, there must be mentioned the institution, in 
1889-90, of a pedagogical congress, composed of representatives from the several states of the 
republic, at which compulsory education, together with other matters relating to public instruc- 
tion, was fully discussed, and in 1892 this was put in force. 

According to this law, education is obligatory for all children from six to twelve 3'ears old, 
and the course of study is to extend through four years, embodying morals, civil instruction, 
the national language (including reading and writing), arithmetic, rudiments of physical and 
natural sciences in the form of object-lessons, practical notions of geometry, rudiment's of oeoo-- 




Cotton-Growing at Tlahualilo, Durango. 



390 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

raphy and natural history, drawing outlines of common and simple objects, singing, gymnastics, 
and military drill ; and for girls, besides the branches mentioned, manual labor and work for ladies. 

Nearly all the states of the Mexican confederacy have adopted the principle of compulsory 
and free primary instruction. In order not to make too light of the principle of obligation, 
certain penalties are incurred by parents or guardians who do not comply with the law, and 
prizes are given to the pupils who attend the regular course of instruction. 

Senor Serrano, professor in the normal schools of Mexico, has been for many years actively 
interested and engaged in the work of higher education. He went through all the public 
schools of Europe, particularly of France, and adopted all the improved methods and appliances 
there to be found for the schools of Mexico. 

There are in the capital of the republic and in the capitals of the states, as well as in some 
of the principal cities, important public libraries, among which may be mentioned the National 
Library, of one hundred and fifty thousand volumes, and nine others, in the city of Mexico, one 
of twenty-five thousand volumes in Guadalajara, and another of the same size in Puebla, besides 
many others of from seven thousand to fifteen thousand volumes. The college libraries usually 
treat principally of the special subjects which form part of the curriculum. There are also 
special libraries, some of which contain notable editions and very rare works and rich collections 
of manuscripts bearing on the history and archaeology of Mexico. In the national archives there 
are preserved documents and manuscripts of great historic value, which occupy fourteen large 
halls and hold for Mexico an importance equal to those of Spain. 

The museums of Mexico play no small part in her educational system, as well as being of 
great interest to visitors. The principal ones are The National Museum of Antiquities and 
Natural History ; the Academy of San Carlos, comprising collections of paintings, sculpture, 
engraving, metals, and coins ; the museums of the preparatory school and of the schools of 
medicine and agriculture, and special collections in zoology, botany, mineralogy, and palaeon- 
tology. 

One of the signs of the development which has taken place in Mexico during the last fifteen 
years is the flourishing condition of the press of the country. Throughout the republic hundreds 
of periodicals and newspapers are published, treating on every topic from politics to science and 
industry. But it is in the city of Mexico that we find the greatest progress in this regard. 
It may seem strange to our readers to learn that there are in the city of Mexico more daily 
papers in proportion to the population than there are in New York City, besides numberless 
weeklies, semi-monthlies, and monthlies. 

The Mexican Herald is the leading paper published in English. The editor is Mr. Frederic 
R. Guernsey, a brilliant young journalist who made a fine record for himself in Boston and 
New York newspaperdom before coming to Mexico. As correspondent for Northern papers he 
first visited Mexico City and saw the opportunity for a live, up-to-date American daily, conducted 
on the lines of newspapers in the United States, an opportunity which he has improved to 
good advantage. 

Of course, however, the majority of the inhabitants of Mexico read papers printed in their 
own language. Of these the most universally read are probably El Ujiiversal, El Iiuparcial, 
and El Muiido, which are published in the capital of the republic. Then there is El Siglo XIX., 
the oldest paper in Mexico, having been published first in 184 1. It has numbered many of the 
ablest men of Mexico among its contributors, although it has of late years been of most value 
as a financial journal. The next oldest paper was El Afonttor Republicano, which suspended 
publication January i, 1897. El Partido Liberal is supposed to be a favorite paper with Presi- 



FOLK-LORE 39 1 

dent Diaz, and is tlierefore one of tlie most widely read journals in the country. These are by 
no means all the daily papers published in Mexico ; in fact, I have not sufficient space even to 
enumerate them all. 

Thus it will be seen that the people of Mexico are quite " up to date" in literary and edu- 
cational matters, and that as education spreads among the masses day by day the growth of her 
press will keep up wiih that of the country. 

The customs of the common people of Mexico, like those of all rapidly developing coun- 
tries, are fast changing, and in a few years there will be no habits and fashions to distinguish 
Mexico from any other land. In olden times, however, the Aztecs modified their customs in the 




Picturesque Scene on the Mexican Central near Tampico. 

same way, and after the conquest the whole country adopted many distinctly Moorish features, 
several of which are easily traced to-day. 

For instance, the churches of Mexico follow the model of those in Spain, and the little 
half-orange domes of the Moors are to be seen in some of the beautiful mission churches. 
While the artesoiiado, or bread-tray roof is not unknown, the beautiful convoluted double 
horseshoe arch, or ajimez, never was adopted. The canopy used in religious processions is 
still called baldaquin. 

The Mexican manner of eating, in which all those at the table dip their hands into the 
common dish, is still to be noted off the lines of railroads. This custom every one will remem- 
ber as beino- common in Old Testament times, and was followed by our Saviour : " And he 
answered and said unto them. It is one of the twelve that dippeth with me in the dish." 



392 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

Pulque and mescal are Aztec, of course, but the other Mexican drinks are direct inherit- 
ances from the Moslem. 

On entering a Mexican church the stranger is immediately struck by the number of women 
who, closely wrapped in black rebozos or tapalos, kneel on the floor of earth during the service. 
This uniform method of covering the head and shoulders is Moorish: "No maiden went to 
a mosque where there was not a place set apart for the virgins, and every woman was carefully 
wrapped up and covered with her veil." 

At the doors of Mexican churches are still to be found venders of wax tapers and small 
candles, which are purchased by the pious and burned in front of the altars, sometimes held by 
the devout suppliant, sometimes placed upon the altar itself The men very frequently, when 
impelled by an excess of devotion, will pray stretched at full length, or bent low to the floor, 
or with arms extended in the form of a cross. A Mexican may give in a number of different 
ways. There is the usual limosnita, or alms to beggars ; the regalo, or ordinary present ; the 
recuerdo, or souvenir ; the dones to the affianced wife ; estrena, Christmas gift ; albricias, present 
made to the bringer of glad tidings ; agtdnaldo, or New Year's gift ; znd propina, much like the 
American's philopoena. l^ilention should be made, too, of the penitentes, or contrite sinners, who 
many years ago publicly whipped and otherwise mortified themselves in the streets of every 
village throughout the republic. They were of the same class as \h& flagelantes of Spain, and 
are the outcome of the same morbid spirituality that once surrounded the Moorish santones 
with the halo of godliness. The power of the Church has been exercised remorselessly, and 
in most of the villages effectually, to stamp out this survival of savagery and barbarism. But 
from time to time they are still heard of and described. 

Carmen Day has been a great religious feast-day for six hundred years in the Catholic 
calendar. Hundreds of houses are annually made happy with visits and gifts to the " Carmens," 
who are remembered by their friends, and there is even something in the opera of " Carmen" 
that goes direct to the Mexican heart. Since Senora Diaz has been the "first lady in the land," 
however, " Carmen Day" has been more popular than ever, as celebrating, in a way, her saint's 
day. 

Scarcely a town in the republic is so poor that it has not its alameda or its public garden, 
with its winding paths, in which twice a week one can listen to fairly good music and witness 
the promenade of sedate men who march leisurely, arm in arm, two by two, in one direction, 
while senoras and senoritas, equally sedate, march with equal leisure in the opposite, a custom 
referred to elsewhere in this volume. 

A very curious custom is that of pelon, by which, after a certain amount of purchase at a 
shop, the buyer receives a rebate or gratuity, either in money or in goods. The word pelon means 
a stone or weight of some kind used to balance the crude scales in the country parts of Spain. 
The custom of pelon as it exists in Mexico is analogous to that of V agniappe in Louisiana, 
and is copied under various names by many great Northern emporiums to-day. The Arabian 
fashion of selling bread from trays carried through the streets of Jerusalem and other cities is 
paralleled in many Mexican villages, and there is a striking resemblance between the street- 
cries and those of the land of the Moslem. " Aleo de fruta ! algro de dulce !" is the common 
cry of the itinerant candy- and fruit-peddlers of Monclova, Celaya, Morelia, Oueretaro, Laredo, 
and elsewhere. There seems to be a great liking for sweet things, the dulceros, and in Morelia 
there are thirty kinds of candy on sale. 

The pinon and pecan are indigenous to Mexico, and the candy made of them is called 
ditlce de cacahuatc. The frijole, the native bean, is a Mexican specialty, — el plato na- 



FOLK-LORE 



393 



Clonal,— ^xvA is cooked in a variety of ways and served at every meal. Tlie mescal consti- 
tuted the primary food of the nomadic tribes of Northern Mexico, the word chichimec mean- 
ing mescal-eaters. Chie is a peculiar seed which when boiled with water makes the water 
emulsive. It is used as a preventive against sudden chills and stomach troubles. Nothin>r can 
be more Mexican than chile, called aji and quauluhilli by the Aztecs. No Mexican dish of 
meat or vegetables is deemed complete without it, and its supremacy as a table adjunct is con- 
ceded by both garlic and tomato. If, however, chile is pungent, the cinlclnpm is vegetable fire 
On a small bush grows the cocotilh, and a dangerous thing it is, too ; for swallo\v the small 
seeds and paralysis of the lower limbs ensues. 

The beautiful filigree silver-work of Mexico, or filigrana, is too well known to need 
description. Its derivation is undoubtedly Moorish, and the talent for it a direct inheritance 
from Spain. Not only the filigree jewelry, but the dainty, filmy deshilada, or drawn-work, ma)- 
claim an Arabic origin. 

Mexican courtesy is not put 
on as a garment to be worn at 
balls and on occasions of cere- 
mony, but is ever present, and 
has become as it were a second 
nature. Mexicans in meetino- 
embrace one another, as the 
Moors and Arabs do. The 
proudest gendeman in the land 
will take off his hat to return the 
salutation of the beggar who 
begs a light for his cigarrito, or 
will beg his pardon in the name 
of God when declining his sup- 
plication for charity. 

The Mexican comadre ap- 
pears to the best advantage 
when a new baby is to be ad- 
mitted into the church. The 
party haying returned from the christening at the sanctuary, the house is thrown open. There 
are music, conversation, and dancing, with refreshments to which all are made welcome, even 
the beggars on the streets. 

The fondest term of endearment that can be given to a Mexican is /^rfl^'^,— namesake. 
And name-days, not birthdays, are celebrated in Mexico. Invitations are extended for celebra- 
tions on the day of the saint whose name is borne by the host, and consequendy there is much 
feasdng on the minor saint-days. 

The older funeral customs of Mexico are very interesting. These mortuary ceremonies 
of the Mexicans, with slight allowance for time and distance, are found among the Moors 
to-day. When little children died among the Mexicans, the body was dressed in \vhite, with a 
helmet of gilt paper or a garland of artificial flowers. It was then laid upon a temporary bier 
and borne to the church, and thence to the grave, by surviving comrades, preceded by musi- 
cians playing soft, sad music. Grown people were buried in much the same wa)'. The male 
mourners, wearing above their elbows bows of black crepe, marched two and two,' each bearincr 




Interoceanic Railroad Leaving the City of Mexico. 



394 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



a candle, which was Ht as the procession entered the church. Ladies did not attend funerals ; 
the evening after the funeral they would meet in some convenient house, light candles, and 
talk about the dead and his virtues until the candles burned away. 

Customs connected with courtship and marriage are changing, as in other countries, but 
even now the relations between the sexes are under strict surveillance amongf the Mexicans, 
and young men and young women have not the same opportunities for becoming acquainted as 
in many other countries. A joven who feels the first impulses of the tender passion has few 
opportunities for meeting the object of his affections alone, or for conversing with her save in the 
presence of parent or grim duefia. He may dance with her at parties, speak to her at christen- 
ings, or kneel near her at mass or vespers, but his chief pleasure is to be found 'vn. jugando el oso, 
or oseando, as the term goes. He takes h's station close to the lattice of the young senorita, 
and there remains until she approaches and looks down and (of course) by accident drops a 
flower or a handkerchief; then, animated by hope, he may venture to send some female relative 
to sound the girl's parents and find out what are his prospects. Among the rural Mexicans, 
who adhere most strictly to old usages, a betrothal is still an affair of considerable formality. 
The aspirant accompanies his declaration by the tender of the dones, generally jewelry, the 
acceptance of which gives him the right to walk with the young lady and her family to church 
and places of entertainment. As the wedding-day approaches, he buys the trousseau for the 
bride. This custom is now dying out in all but the remote Mexican districts. 



NATURAL ADVANTAGES 395 



CHAPTER XLV 

NATURAL ADVANTAGES 

^^W'-^^k OWHERE in the world do we see a country which lias come forward more rapidly 

■ I ■ than has Mexico in the last half-century. Few Americans realize that Mexico 

II W was "discovered" and settled by Cortez a hundred years before any settlement 

-9^ »^ was made in the United States. And in natural advantages no other portion of 

this marvellous western hemisphere can claim a place above her. 

Mexico is the geographical centre of the earth, an imperial place in the great highways of 
the world. The country extends between 14° 30' and 32° 42' north latitude, and between 88° 54' 
and 119° 25' of longitude west of Greenwich. 

It is bounded on the north by the United States, on the east by the Gulf of Mexico, on the 
southeast by Guatemala, and on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. 

The frontier line which separates Mexico from the United States starts near the mouth of 
the Rio Grande from a point in the sea three leagues from the coast, follows the line of the 
river to its intersection with the parallel of latitude 31° 37' 47" N. (at Ciudad Juarez), runs in a 
straight line westward one hundred miles, then bends to the south to 31° 20', then follows the 
parallel westward to 111° of longitude west from Greenwich, and continues in a straight line to 
a point on the Rio Colorado twenty miles from its confluence with the river Gila, then it turns 
toward the north of this confluence and bends toward the west, following the line between Lower 
and Upper California. From Ciudad Juarez westward the boundary lines are marked with two 
hundred and fifty-eight massive iron and stone monuments. It has a northern frontier of four- 
teen hundred and a southern of three hundred and forty-five miles. It has a seaboard of 
sixteen hundred and seventy-seven miles on the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, two 
thousand and forty on the Gulf of California, and four thousand four hundred and eight on 
the Pacific Ocean, making six thousand and eighty-six in all. 

The area of this immense republic is nearly two million square kilometres, say seven hun- 
dred and fifty-two thousand square miles, that of the United States being about three million 
six hundred thousand square miles, so that Mexico has an area of about one-fifth that ot our 
great territory, a fact which few realize. The greatest length of the country is two thousand 
eight hundred kilometres (seventeen hundred and fifty miles), and the greatest width twelve 
hundred kilometres (seven hundred and fifty miles), while the least is two hundred and eighty- 
five metres (one hundred and seventy-five miles) at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 

So few outsiders have anything more than a general idea of Mexico that I may be par- 
doned for eoincf into still further details. 

Mexico comprises an elevated table-land one thousand kilometres (six hundred and 
twenty-five miles) in width in the north, and from one hundred and eighty to two hundred kilo- 
metres (one hundred and twelve to one hundred and twenty-five miles) at the south, in the 



396 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The central table-land, a continuation of the Rocky Mountains of 
North America and of the Andes of South America, is formed by the chain of mountains 
called the Sierra Madre, which divides in the state of Oaxaca into three branches, the southern, 
the eastern, and the western. The face of the country is extremely diversified. The littoral 
regions are in general low and sandy, especially on the Atlantic side, where they were probably 
submerged at no remote period as far as the foot of the mountains. In no part of the republic 
within thirty miles of the sea does the land rise higher than one thousand feet, except, perhaps, 
in Chiapas, where the chain of the Mexican Andes presents a mural barrier facing the ocean, 
toward which the descent is exceedingly rapid. But the traveller journeying inland from either 
side, north of the Tehuantepec isthmus, climbs by a succession of gigantic terraced mountains 
to a table-land with a mean elevation of eight thousand feet, extending far beyond the northern 
limits of the republic. On the railway from Vera Cruz to the capital every variety of climate 
is experienced within the space of a few hours, and the natural productions peculiar to each are 
successively passed in review, from the sugar-cane, indigo plant, and plantain of the tropics, 
to the pines, firs, and lichens of the north. 

The valley of Mexico is an elliptical plain with an area of about nine hundred and forty 
square miles, fringed on the east, south, and west by lofty peaks, some of which are active vol- 
canoes ; indeed, the plain may be regarded as one vast volcanic hearth, roughened at intervals 
by isolated hills rising abruptly from the surrounding level. The most elevated summits are 
at the southeast, where Popocateped and Ixtaccihuatl tower majestically over all the rest. So 
regular is the great plateau (formed exclusively by the broad, undulating, flattened crest of the 
Mexican Andes, and not the swelling of a valley between two mountain-ridges, such as the 
alpine valley of Bolivia or that of Thibet), and so gentle are the slopes where depressions 
occur, that the journey from Mexico to Santa Fe, New Mexico (about twelve hundred miles), 
might be performed in a four-wheeled vehicle. From Mexico south to Oaxaca, in the centre 
of the plain of that name, with an elevation varying from three thousand to six thousand feet, 
the route is almost as level as from the capital northward. 

There are seventeen mountains — ten of which are volcanoes — which are over ten thousand 
feet in height. Popocatepetl ranks first, at seventeen thousand five hundred and forty feet, and 
Orizaba next, at seventeen thousand one hundred and seventy-six feet. 

The central table-land has toward the north a height of from twelve hundred to eighteen 
hundred metres (say from three thousand nine hundred and fifty to five thousand eight hundred 
feet) between 32° and 22° north latitude, where it is called the table-land of Chihuahua, and 
from eighteen hundred to two thousand seven hundred metres (say from five thousand eight 
hundred to twelve thousand two hundred feet) in the table-land of Mexico, which extends from 
22° to 17° north latitude. The table-land of Chihuahua is level, arid, and covered with a 
nitrous soil. 

Near the nineteenth parallel the table-land of Mexico is broken by a line of volcanoes. 

The volcanic zone is about nine hundred kilometres (five hundred and sixty miles) long 
from east to west, and ninety kilometres (fifty-six miles) wide. Its central line starts at the 
volcano of Colima, near the Pacific, and ends in the volcano of San Andres Tuxtla, near the 
north of Mexico. 

As has already been said, from the coast toward the interior of the country the land rises 
by gradations, forming grand plateaus and picturesque and deeply bordered valleys, with sudden 
changes of level. The waterfalls precipitate themselves in imposing cascades, adding greatly 
to the beauty of the country. 



NATURAL ADVANTAGES ■ 397 

The crest of these vast cordilleras, seen from the savannas of the coast, is defined from 
afar sometimes against a bhie and transparent sky, sometimes against a misty background. 
Granitic rocks or snowy peaks accentuate a country which is more broken up, and which rises 
in vast echelons to the central plateau. Bounded on the east and on the west by a succession 
of heights, which merge into the axis of the two grand mountain-chains into which the cordillera 
divides, it is different in many points from those which traverse South America, and of which 
they are the continuation. 

In going inland from the state of Vera Cruz one encounters savannas, or grand prairies, 
broken by woods and forests, then numberless spurs, which jut out from the foot of the cordillera. 
On the flanks of these are echeloned valleys, and at the summit the plain of Puebla, to which 
one rises by the gorges of the sierra, that of Boca del Monte being two thousand three hundred 
metres above the sea-level. 

The mountains in the extreme southeast are plainly composed of porphyry, with some 
limestone and clay slate, in which lie embedded unnumbered veins of silver, copper, and lead, 
awaiting the enterprising hand which shall seize them and turn them into wealth untold. 

The Oaxaca system is chiefly of granite, especially the loftiest peaks. Granite also forms 
the foundation to the central table-lands, where there are richly in evidence also the porphyries 
and precious metals. The Cerro del Mercado, in the state of Durango, is said to be almost 
a solid mass of iron. 

The rocks of Mexico throughout belong to the granitic, porphyritic, basaltic, and limestone 
formations. The porphyries form the summits of colossal masses of bizarre and capricious 
form. Sometimes they are found in thick strata, when they are traversed by metal-bearing 
veins, and form, in the Sierra de Hidalgo (Pachuca), large deposits of great richness. 

The limestone cavern of Cacahuamilpa, described in the chapter on Morelos, affords, with 
its vast and enormous galleries, its infinitely diversified and beautiful concretions, and its fan- 
tastic aspect under the electric light, one of the wonders of the w^orld. 

The mineral deposits of Mexico, so far as hitherto known, are richer than those of any 
other country, not excepting Peru ; and it is supposed that still richer mines of silver and gold 
are likely to be discovered. The quantity of silver annually extracted is estimated at five 
hundred tons, and that of gold at a ton and a half. 

The mines during the colonial period were crown property, and those who worked them 
paid one-fifth of the product to the king. When Mexico became independent they were declared 
public property, and miners were required to pay into the national treasury only a small per- 
centage of the yield. Even this tax was afterwards abolished, and any one can, by right of 
discovery, denounce or record a mine and obtain authority to w^ork a certain number of varas 
free of tribute. A slight tax is, however, imposed on melting and coining the metal. 

No country in the world is more favored than Mexico. Situated below the tropics, the 
climate of Mexico is not less uniform than diversified. The temperature of each locality is 
almost always the same, yet the different localities present a thousand distinct tempera- 
tures. 

There is comparatively little difference between summer and winter, except that one is 
the wet season and the other the dry. The climate can, as a whole, be classified as tem- 
perate, yet the country' may be considered as divided into three zones, — the hot, the temperate, 
and the cold. The first is comprised between the sea-level and one thousand metres of height, 
the second between one thousand and two thousand metres, and the third extends from two 
thousand metres up. Longitude and latitude do not influence the climate so much as does 



39S 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



heioht and one often finds these three distinct climates within a few miles of one another, 
according to the height above the sea. 

A marked instance of sudden changes in climate may be instanced in the trip from Espe- 
ranza, where the descent from the temperate to the torrid zone is made in about two hours, the 
drop in altitude being over four thousand feet. 

Within the torrid zone the only distinction in the seasons is the wet and the dry, — the first 
between June and October, the second from November until May. 

The torrid region of this country comprises the peninsula of Yucatan, the state of Tabasco, 
and the greater part of the states of Vera Cruz and Tamaulipas near the coast. The torrid 
district on the Pacific Ocean extends to the territory of Lower California. 

The lands in the torrid district near the coast are of wonderful fertilit3^ thanks to the 
abundant moisture of the soil kept up by a permanent dew and by the copious rains, and are 
generally healthful. 

Perpetual spring reigns on the slopes of the cordillera between one thousand and sixteen 
hundred metres above the sea-level ; the thermometric variations do not exceed four or five 

decrees C. (eieht or nine deg^rees 
F.), and the main temperature 
varies between twenty-three and 
twenty-five degrees C. (seventy- 
three to seventy-seven degrees 
F.), cold and excessive heat 
beine unknown. 

Europeans and North Amer- 
icans may settle here without 
danger; they soon get acclimated. 
This district offers the agricul- 
tural laborer and the intelligent 
artisan many opportunities for 
fortune. 

The cold district and the 
central plateau occupy the plains 
on the north of the states of Mi- 
choacan and Mexico, the federal 
district, the northern and eastern 
parts of the state of Puebla, the 
states of Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Queretaro, and Guanajuato, part of Jalisco, the state of San Luis 
Potosi, except its western part, the states of Aguas Calientes and Zacatecas, and the plains of 
Durango. 

The healthiest climates are, of course, the driest ones, whether hot or cold. Mineral 
springs abound on the table-lands and on the slopes of the cordilleras. 

The mean temperature of the city of Mexico is about fifty-eight degrees of Fahrenheit the 
year through. In no other country does the temperature become so much cooler after sunset, 
and one may walk a mile even at noon under the tropical sun without fatigue. 

The rainy season begins at the end of May and lasts into October. During this time the 
sun comes out brightly in the morning, about noon pleasant showers without wind or violence 
come up, and by sunset all is bright again. The same is the case in the table-lands ; but on the 




La SedeiJa Bridge, Interoceanic Railroad. 



NATURAL ADVANTAGES 399 

Pacific coast between the twenty-fifth and thirty-fifth parallels the case is reversed, and the rainy 
season falls in the winter months. The difference between winter and summer, therefore, is 
hardly felt ; indeed, in the rainy season the climate during- die daytime is slightly cooler, but 
altogether delicious. There is probably no other country on which God has bestowed so delight- 
ful a climate. 

The nature of the surface and the character of the seasons prevent there being many large 
bodies of water and the formation of navigable watercourses ; but what is lost in this direction 
is gained by the numberless water-powers which abound on every hand. 

There are, however, five groups of lakes : those which are without outlet and which have 
no streams as feeders, being fed directly by the rains ; those formed by the enlargement of water- 
courses, as of rivers which flow through them ; those which receive no watercourse, but which give 
rise to one or more rivers as outlets ; those which receive watercourses which are lost therein ; 
and lagoons which communicate with the sea, some of which might be considered as estuaries. 

The soil throughout Mexico is, for the most part, extremely fertile. Artificial irrigation is 
in many places resorted to, and is effected by dams or aguages and canals. The landed property 
is estimated at over one billion, and the vegetation everywhere is magnificent. 

Every variety of edible fruit known in Europe or America is found there, usually growing 
spontaneously. Owing to the peculiar structure of the country, too, all fruits, with every kind 
of garden vegetable, may be obtained in the Mexican markets the year round. 

The flowers of Mexico are amonof the richest, most beautiful, and most varied in the world. 
On Sunday mornings the streets of the capital are literally enamelled with blossoms of the 
most fragrant odors and most brilliant colors. 

The fields in the hot district are adorned with the beautiful grreen of the tobacco, the 
sugar-cane, and the pampas grass of the coast region ; and the plantations of mangrove-trees 
and the bamboo, with its branching foliage, give shade to the river banks. In the virgin forests 
gigantic fig-trees are found, with immense cedars, mahogany-trees, and many others, beautiful 
in foliage as well as useful for their fruits and woods. The most luxuriant vines trail from the 
highest branches of the trees, with choicest flowers hanging in festoons, making the forest 
almost impenetrable. In Mexico, where the language of flowers is understood by all, the 
orchidacese seem to compose nearly the whole alphabet. Not an infant is baptized, not a mar- 
riage is celebrated, no obsequies are performed, at which the aid of these flowers is not called 
in by the sentimental natives. 

In the temperate regions the character of the vegetation changes, but its beauty does not 
lessen. Magnificent forests of liquidambar, various kinds of oak, laurel, magnolia, and myrtle, 
cover the base of the mountains ; mosses, ferns, and lichens carpet the smooth surface of the 
rocks, as also the rough bark of the trees. Every dale or glen is an orchard where one can 
gather the most palatable of fruits while enjoying the most delightful breezes, and where the 
siehine of the winds, the sineing' of the birds, and the murmur of the waterfalls make sweetest 
music. 

In the colder regions one finds a rich variety of the coniferous plants and trees crowning the 
heiofhts and waving- in the extensive fields of golden g-raln and among the green corn, whose 
cultivation is so general in the central table-land, while adorning the valleys and meadows are 
the leafy ash, the immense ahuehuete, and the beautiful willow with its hanging branches. 

In travelling through Mexico one sees all varieties of vegetation ; therefore, on the bleak 
and hilly parts are to be found scanty growths, although invariably, e\'en here, there are sur- 
prises wherever there is a little rivulet bathing trees and flowers in dew ; or the loveliest 



400 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

blossoming trees, bananas, oranges, and lemons mingled with bright flowers and combining 
into an orchard and a garden. 

Lilac-trees, scarlet wax-flowers, the trailing white jasmine, tall white lilies, vie with one 
another in the valley, varied higher up the slopes of the mountains by stunted nopals and blue- 
green magueys, — a beautiful, bountiful, blossoming land. 

In a country so teeming with luxurious foliage and brilliant flowers the soil is naturally 
fertile and productive. Agriculture is, perhaps, the easiest and most natural occupation, from 
the formation and richness of the country. 

In the cultivated regions we find the maguey, or agave, from which is extracted the national 
drink pulque. The maguey grows on the great plains of the plateaus, at a height of over 
seven thousand feet above the sea. On the plains of Apam, about one hundred miles from the 
city of Mexico, as far as the eye can reach it encounters straight rows of maguey plants, about 
nine feet apart. 

The maguey is the most useful plant In the countiy, taking the place in Mexico that the 
cocoa palm does in the South Sea Islands. With great justice Father Acosta called the maguey 
la planta de las niaravillas, — " the marvel plant." There are maguey plantations which produce 
a revenue of from ten thousand to twelve thousand dollars a year. 

The city of Mexico consumes over two hundred and fifty thousand pints of pulque a day, 
and there are in the city eight hundred or nine hundred shops which sell nothing else. The 
Mexican Railway has one train which daily leaves the plains of Apam carrying nothing but 
pulque, the freight on which amounts to one thousand dollars a day. 

The maguey, or Agave americana, grows not only in fields, which are planted thickly, 
but in ditches set along the fences, and in many odd corners which seem to be good for nothing 
else. It grows in good land to an enormous size, the central stem often attaining a height of 
twenty-five or thirty feet and a diameter of twelve or fifteen inches ; the branches in some 
instances are a foot and a half wide and four or five inches thick. One maguey plant fre- 
quently yields a hundred and fifty gallons of pulque. A single plant will often yield four hun- 
dred and fifty-two cubic inches In twenty-four hours, and keep it up for four or five months, 
which would amount to nearly three times the quantity I have given. 

One can scarcely Imagine the appearance of these immense maguey plantations. In the 
country between Mexico and Vera Cruz, for instance ; here for hundreds of miles the plains 
and hill-sides are covered with long, close lines of agave in every stage, from the strong, 
large, generous beauty of the full-grown plant to the young, tender green of the newly trans- 
planted shoots. If one can conceive the symmetry of these regular forms, with the spiked, 
fleshy leaves, eight or ten feet long, falling in a whorl around the central blossom-stalk with the 
regularit}^ of sculpture, and conceive also the effect of seeing them spread over such vast tracts 
of country, he will have before him one of the most novel pictures in this land of novelty. 
The plant combines within Itself a dozen different materials for comfort and use. Growing 
on an absolutely dry soil, with no help from irrigation, it has the property of condensing 
moisture and coolness about Its roots, which makes it yield at full growth an incredible amount 
of liquid. 

What attraction to taste, sight, or smell'thls thin, sticky, sour, pale beverage can have is 
one of the mysteries a stranger can never hope to elucidate. Still, as nearly every luxury in 
every land Is an acquired taste, from the decayed fish and edible bird's-nest of the Chinese 
to the Roquefort cheese and the olive of Western civilization, we ought not to quarrel with 
this manifestation. 



NATURAL ADVANTAGES 401 

With this common drink, which is to the Mexican what beer is to the German or Hght wine 
to the Frenchman, the maguey furnishes two others, not unlike our brandy and whiskey, very 
intoxicating, but very httle used. 

It supplies the native, besides, with a primitive needle and thread, which he obtains by 
tearing off one of the sharp spikes and a long thread of fibre ; it gives a species of hempen 
cloth from the coarser tissue and of paper from the fine inner pulp ; it provides a good thatch 
for houses ; and the debris, dried, makes fuel in regions where wood is scarce. 

The maguey and its produce, pulque, were known to the Indians in the most ancient times, 
and the primitive Aztecs may have become as intoxicated on their fax'orite octli, as they called 
it, as the modern Mexicans do on their beloved pulque. 

It is not often that we see the superb flower with its colossal stem, for the plant that is in 
blossom is a useless beauty. The moment the experienced Indian becomes aware that his 
maguey is about to flower, he cuts out the heart, covers it over with side leaves of the plant, 
and all the juice which should have gone to the great stem of the flower runs into the empty 
basin thus formed, into which the Indian thrice a day, and during several months in succession, 
inserts his acojote, or gourd,— a kind of siphon, — and, applying his mouth to the other end, 
draws off the liquor by suction, — a curious process. At first this is called honey-water, and 
is sweet and scentless and tastes like sweet champagne, but soon ferments when transferred to 
the skins or earthen vases in which it is kept. To assist in its fermentation, however, a little 
old pulque — madre pulque, as it is called — which has fermented for many days is added to it, 
and in twenty-four hours after it leaves the plant you may imbibe it in all its perfection. It is 
said to be the most wholesome drink in the world, and remarkably agreeable when one has over- 
come the first shock occasioned by its rancid odor. At all events, the maguey is a source of 
unfailing profit, the consumption of pulque being enormous, so that many of the richest famiHes 
in the capital owe their fortune entirely to the produce of their magueys. 

The strong and pointed thorns which terminate the gigantic leaves were used by the 
ancient Mexicans as nails and pins. With these the ancient sanguinary priests were in the 
habit of piercing their breasts and tearing their arms, in acts of expiation. 

Together with the maguey grows another wonderful production of nature, the organos, 
which resembles the barrels or pipes of an organ. The plants, growing close together and 
about six feet high, and being covered with prickles, make the strongest natural fence imao-- 
inable, besides being covered with beautiful flowers. 

So much for the maguey plant, always of deep interest to strangers. 

The sugar-cane was unknown to the ancient Mexicans, who made syrup of honey and 
also from the maguey, and sugar from the stalk of maize. The sugar-cane was brought by 
the Spaniards from the Canary Islands to Santo Domingo, whence it passed to Cuba and 
Mexico. The first sugar-canes were planted in 1520, by Don Pedro de Atienza. The first 
cyhnders were constructed by Gonzalo de Velosa, and the first sugar-mills built by the Spaniards 
at that time were worked by hydraulic wheels, and not by horses. M. de Humboldt, who 
examined the will of Cortez, informs us that the conqueror had left sugar-plantations near 
Coyoacan. 

In a general way it may be said that all the coasts of the hot districts of Mexico are 
favorable to the cultivation of the sugar-cane. It varies in quality according to the latitude, but 
there is one zone specially adapted to the culture, the cane there being notable not only for its 
exuberant production but also for its fine quality. 

There is probably no enterprise in or out of Mexico at the present time which can be 

26 



402 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



compared to coffee-culture as a money-making business. Mexico is admirably adapted to coffee- 
growincr, and her coffee ranks among the finest in the world. Coffee of the finest quality is pro- 
duced \w Colima, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Morelos, and Vera Cruz, and there is no other country in 
the world which produces such good coffee with so little cultivation as Mexico does. In India, 
for instance, where the cultivation of the coffee-plant is carried to a very high pitch indeed, it is 
reckoned that it is necessary to employ one person (man, woman, or boy) to every acre of the 
coffee plantation. In Mexico it is doubtful whether more than one person is employed for every 

twenty acres. 

Go where you will over the republic of Mexico, you will find current opinion to be pecu- 
liarly fa.vorable to the extension of coffee-raising. There is probably no country in the world. 




Ravine of Metlac, Mexican Railroad. 



not even Ceylon, so admirably adapted in all its conditions to the successful production of 
coffee as Mexico. This coffee production in Mexico is one of the few lines of business which 
can be successfully pursued by the poor man as well as by the man of moderate means and 
the millionaire. Within the last few years very much has been written and said about coffee- 
raisino-. There is, perhaps, no other investment that will give such enormous results and is 
at the same time non-speculative in its nature. A right understanding of coffee-raising, and 
the application of proper business methods, are the chief requisites to success, and it mvolves 
little or no risk to the investor. 

The soil and climatic conditions necessary to the successful production of the coffee-berry 
are so peculiar that, though it grows in all countries between the tropics, the acreage exactly 
adapted to it is comparatively small. Entire absence of extremes of heat and cold, a moist 



NATURAL ADVANTAGES 403 

atmosphere, fertile soil, and freedom from drought, are indispensable to the production of 
remunerative crops. On fertile lands and under the climatic conditions above referred to the 
energetic man of moderate capital can be assured of returns to be found in no other industry. 

There has been but little of what is termed "high cultivation" of the plant here. Not- 
withstanding this, however, estimates given by coffee-growers in various parts of the republic 
show beyond doubt that the profits of the business have for some time been from one hundred 
to two hundred and fifty per cent, per year on the whole cost of the plantation, includincr the 
land. " 

_ Mexico, which hardly counts as an exporter of coffee, could alone easily furnish as much 
of It as all other coffee-producing countries together, Brazil e.xcepted. It grows in Mexico 
everywhere, both in the temperate and tropical zones,— a circumstance worthy^of remark —and 
Mexican coffee is of superior quality. The celebrated Uruapan coffee is considered equal to 
Mocha ; that from Colima is also greatly praised. Orizaba and Cordova sell their crop every 
year to the United States. 

Reports from Jalapa and neighborhood are to the effect that land is being rapidly bouo-ht 
there for coffee-growing purposes, and that new coffee plantations are to be met with in\ll 
directions. Owing to the convenient situation and transport facilities, the coffee-growing districts 
of Vera Cruz are likely to become more and more resorted to by coffee-planters. 

Tea-growing is an industry to which the climate and situation of Mexico and the cheap 
labor there to be obtained lend themselves most admirably. Tea thrives best at an altitude of 
from three to five thousand feet above the level of the sea. It requires a good soil, the best 
being black well mixed with leaf-mould or vegetable deposits. It also requires plenty of sun- 
shine and a good rainfall. Hill-sides with a southern or southwestern exposure are admirably 
adapted to tea-growing. There are several localities in Mexico which are well fitted for this 
venture. 

Cacao, or, as we ordinarily know it, cocoa, which yields chocolate, grows to best ad\'antage 
in the republic of Mexico. That of Soconusco (in Chiapas) has the reputation of being the 
best in the world. There is also very good cocoa produced in the state of Tabasco. 

There is but litde informadon to be given on this head. This much, however, is certain, 
and every one knows it in Mexico, that Soconusco can produce as much as Nicaragua, and that 
the small quantity gathered there can be sold at any price demanded. It is certain'that railwaj-s 
will develop this productive industry. 

Among the few districts in the world where the vanilla bean grows are the states of Jalisco 
and Hidalgo, and above all Vera Cruz, Chiapas, and Oaxaca. One of the places where it grows 
best is Misantla, a canton of the state of Vera Cruz. 

The exportation of this product, which of late years had decreased, has taken a new start. 
The reputation of Mexican vanilla leaves nothing to desire, its qualities being well and fa^•or- 
ably known abroad. 

By the Mexican plan of culdvation land will yield three crops every two years, one of 
wheat and two of corn, the wheat averaging twenty bushels per acre, and the corn fifty on 
irrigated land and thirty on dry. There are fifty-two thousand square miles of land suitable for 
growing these two crops. 

Tobacco is cultivated in several places in the state of Vera Cruz, also in the states of 
Tabasco, Campeche, and Yucatan. An excellent grade is raised in Oaxaca and Chiapas, and in 
Tepic and Compostela in the state of Jalisco. The increase in the exportation of Mexican 
tobacco during the last thirteen years has been remarkable. 



404 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

About 1868 (during the Cuban war) several Cuban refugees commenced to make cigars in 
Mexico. There had always been planting and manufacturing in the country, but never before 
exportation. Shortly after, the first Mexican cigars were received in London. They had a 
homely appearance, but burned well and had a very agreeable fragrance. At that time the 
London journal Tobacco expressed itself as being pleasantly surprised by Mexican progress 
in cigar-making, by the exceptional quality of the tobacco from that source, and also by the 
increase in the demand and the prices received. Thus the Cuban war opened out for Mexico 
what might be called the era of tobacco. 

To the processes of manufacture which the Cuban emigrants brought into Mexico is due 
the progress made in this branch of the national industry. Now the future of Mexican 
tobacco is assured. Mexican growers have been called on to fill up the gap caused by the 
diminution of the production in Cuba ; they are called on to furnish tobacco equal in quality to 
that of Havana, and yet at a lower price. The markets of Antwerp and Hamburg are already 
theirs. 

Here, then, is a line of important industry to recommend, to which there is nothing lacking 
thus far but capital to make it prosper. 

Mexico, above all other regions on the earth, is suitable to the development of textile 
plants. They are found everywhere in a wild state, but little and poorly exploited, furnishing, 
however, work for an important percentage of the Indian class. In no place have these plants 
been the object of any serious attempts at cultivation, although they have been a source of 
brilliant profits. 

When we consider all the land which possesses favorable conditions for cotton-culture, we 
see that Mexico might easily rival the United States and the Indies. From time immemorial 
cotton has been the object of important cultivation and manufacture, which, however, was much 
more considerable under the Aztec monarchy than in our day. The use of cotton clothes was, 
in fact, general with the ancient Mexicans ; and from the beginning of this century cotton was 
worth at Vera Cruz three or four times less than anywhere else. But Mexico from the agri- 
cultural point of view has remained stationary, or even has gone back in such a way that not 
only is she not counted to-day among the countries which export cotton, but is obliged to buy 
it each year from the United States. The superiority of Mexican cotton, notably that of Vera 
Cruz, over the American product is, however, sufficiently proved by the fact that from one 
hundred and thirty to one hundred and forty cotton-plants from Tlacotalpam yield a pound of 
fibre, while in Texas two hundred plants are necessary. In the state of Guerrero the difference 
in favor of Mexican cotton is still greater, although they adhere to the old-fashioned method of 
cultivation, by the plough ; and we might say that, except in the states of Vera Cruz, Durango, 
Chihuahua, and Coahuila, the methods of cultivation are just as primitive as in Guerrero. The 
best cotton in Mexico is that of Acapulco, in the state of Guerrero, where the fibre attains 
a length of thirty-seven millimetres ; the length of the fibres in San Pedro (Coahuila) and at 
Lerdo (Durango) is thirty-five millimetres. 

In this connection it is well to note the experiment of cotton-raising made by the Agri- 
cultural, Industrial, and Colonization Company at Tlahualilo, in the state of Coahuila. To 
Senor Don Juan Llemado it was left to illustrate, in a most practical way, to what extent cotton 
grows in this republic. This huge enterprise is developing into a fine agricultural district land 
which was previously little better than a desert, making it, if not literally to blossom as the rose, 
white with cotton-bolls. Standing upon the roof of the casa grande, in which are the ofifices of 
the company and the home of the administrador, and which is situated at the railroad terminus 



NATURAL ADVANTAGES 405 

at the southern border of the property, a magnificent view is obtained of the main portion of 
the company's land, bordered on the east and on the west by low-lying mountain-ranges, and 
stretching away to the northern end of the valley beyond the reach of the eye. The entire 
valley, as far as it can be viewed from this point of vantage, is divided into immense fields of 
cotton and corn, dotted here and there with houses and corrals, indicating the location of the 
head-quarters of the haciendas into which the property is divided for its better management, 
and each of which has its overseer or superintendent. The development of this prope'rty was 
begun in the year 1888 by the Tlahualilo Agricultural Company, and at that time almost the 
sole vegetation was the scrubby mesquite growth which still covers the land not yet brought 
under irrigation and cultivation. After two years, in 1890, the company was reorganized as the 
Agricultural, Industrial, and Colonization Company, Limited, of Tlahualilo. 

The fact that the word "colonization" forms a part of the corporate tide of this company 
has misled many to suppose that it was a land company of a more or less speculative nature 
which had secured a tract of land with a view of selling it in small pordons to setders from 
other countries ; and this view was strengthened in many instances by the belief that the negroes 
who were brought there from the United States were placed on small tracts of land which^they 
were to cultivate on shares, and of which, if successful, they were eventually to become the 
owners. This impression is entirely erroneous ; not an acre of the property is for sale, it 
being the intention of its proprietors to place the entire tract under cultivation and to sell the 
products in the open market, either in a raw or in a manufactured state. The negroes who were 
brought here, to the number of about two thousand, came as farm-laborers. The chief crop 
raised on the Tlahualilo lands is cotton, and the idea prevailed that this could be better culti- 
vated by negroes from the cotton-producing States of the northern republic than by Mexican 
farm-laborers. This effort, however, was not successful, because the negroes had been taken 
from the large cides instead of from farming regions, and because of a distressingly fatal dis- 
ease which broke out among them, and, again, because of the homesickness and despair which 
seemed utterly to demoralize them. 

The Tlahualilo company owns about two hundred and forty square miles of land, which 
lies in one tract, with the excepdon of the Hacienda of San Fernando, the latter ha\ing been 
purchased in 1891 in order to obtain for irrigation a supply of water in addition to the grant of 
the government. 

There are now under cultivation, chiefly in cotton and corn, about eighty-three square miles 
of land, and the company expects to have its endre tract under cultivation at the close of the 
year 1899. The lands depend endrely upon irrigadon for moisture for crops, which is supplied 
by a vast system of canals and ditches aggregating in length at the present time over seven 
hundred and fifty kilometres. The water is taken from the river Nazas at a point near Lerdo, 
and flows through a huge canal to the point of distribution. This canal is of itself a small river, 
being seventy-two kilometres in length, twenty-five metres in width, and two and one-half metres 
in depth. 

The growth of cotton and corn is almost beyond belief. The writer saw corn which had 
grown to the height of from sixteen to eighteen feet. The cotton is equally productive, many 
of the plants bearing one hundred perfect bolls. 

As may be supposed, this immense estate requires a small army of laborers, and there are 
at the present time fully four thousand work-people employed by the company, who, with their 
families, make a population of at least six thousand five hundred people, all comfortably housed 
on various sections of the property. The farming machinery in use is another evidence of the 



4o6 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

mao-nitude of the enterprise. There are steam-ploughs, steam-threshers for the wheat, and 
steam corn-shellers. In addition there are over seven thousand ploughs, cultivators, etc., 
including planters, as well as cultivators for cotton, corn, and wheat. 

The company now has about four million five hundred thousand dollars invested in its 
property. The enterprise pays a handsome profit, although these profits are to a great extent 
used in the erection of the industrial plant, the operation of which forms a by no means insig- 
nificant part of the business of the company. 

The agricultural development of the land, as previously slated, is not the sole business of 
the Tlahualilo Company. The industrial branch of its business is much larger than one would 
expect to find in so remote a district. Two years ago the company erected an oil-factory, 
a soap-factory, and a cotton-gin, in which may be seen the most improved machinery for ginning 
and baling the cotton. An electric dynamo furnishes facilities for lighting the various buildings. 

The company provides to the utmost extent for the benefit of its work-people. There is a 
resident physician for those who need medical attendance. There are a large and well-appointed 
school-house and teachers for the instruction of the children. No intoxicating Hquors are sold 
on the property, and so important is this regulation deemed, not only here but on the other 
haciendas in that section of the country, that when the Mexican International Railroad was 
granted the right of way to build the branch road from Matamoros to Zaragoza it was stipulated 
in the contracts that the railroad company should not permit the sale of intoxicating liquor of 
any kind on any part of the property ceded for railroad purposes. When the barrenness of the 
adjoining territory is seen, then are fully understood the difficulties which this company has 
batded with and overcome ; and then, too, is realized the fact that to secure the results men- 
tioned above it was necessary that the owners and managers should possess an immense amount 
of energy, intelligence, and business ability. 

The cotton consumed by the manufacturers of the country amounts to about two hundred 
and sixty thousand quintals per year, half of this coming from abroad. The annual production 
in cotton cloth, coutils, percales, and calicos reaches about three million eight hundred thousand 
pieces of cotton cloth, two hundred and eighty thousand of calico and percales, and two million 
seven hundred and thirty-five thousand of cotton in hanks, consumed by manufacturers of 
rebozos, sheets, napkins, stockings, and other articles. More than fifty thousand families live 
by the cotton industry. 

Among the profit-bearing plants should be placed in the first rank the henequin. 

Henequin, of all the textile plants which abound in Mexico, is the one which is the most 
assiduously cultivated. It seems to have originated in the peninsula of Yucatan, of which it has 
made the fortune, and appears to have been created especially for that desolate country, which 
before having undertaken culture on any scale was considered the most worthless district of 
the republic, fit only to receive exiled convicts. The henequin of Yucatan — which, by the way, 
must not be confounded with the plant of the same name which grows at Manila, and which is 
of another family — specially grows on stony ground, and particularly on rocks. It is even 
asserted that it draws all its nourishment from the atmosphere, and that its roots serve only to 
fix it to the soil. The henequin is produced by drageons. It receives two cultivations the first 
year and another each successive year. It arrives at its complete development at the end of 
four years. At the end of this time there are annually cut a certain number of leaves. The 
duration of the exploitation of the plant averages from six to eight years, and sometimes 
extends as long as fifteen or twenty years. Its fibre is very fine, finer than that of hemp, 
does not harden under the influence of moisture, nor even stiffen under the lowest tempera- 



NATURAL ADJANTAGES 



407 



tures, and does not call for the care necessary to be bestowed on flax and hemp. The cultiva- 
tion of this plant is constantly increasing in Yucatan. It occupies the first place in the agricul- 
tural products. 

Henequin began to be seriously worked in Yucatan in i860, before which it was exported 
only manufactured in the shape of hammocks, ropes, etc., the whiteness and suppleness of which 
articles had attracted the attention of foreign merchants. The United States commenced to 
import the raw material, and the agriculturists of Yucatan were therefore forced to make their 
products known to European markets. 

The general conditions of climate and the latitude of Mexico are as favorable as they could 
possibly be to the culture of the ramie-plant. In fact, ladtude is one of the most important 
factors in its development. The length of the fibre varies under this influence from three to 
six feet, and a difference of two 
degrees of latitude may cause 
the length to vary one hundred 
per cent. 

Nothing is simpler or more 
economic than the culture of 
ramie. As the plant is perennial, 
once developed it can give crops 
through several years, and the 
fibre not only loses none of 
its good qualities in growing 
old, but gains, on the contrary, 
in fineness, and, above all, in 
strength, to such a degree that 
the first crop is scarcely ever 
utilized. The number ot crops 
per year varies with the climate. 
In the hot districts there can 
usually be made at least three. 

The zacaton, or dog's-tooth, 
is a wild plant found in abundance at Huamantla and in several other districts. Its root is 
highly esteemed in European and American markets for the manufacture of brushes, brooms, 
etc. Not only does it require no cultivation, but, on the contrary, is an undesirable weed, 
cumbering the ground, which otherwise cannot be utilized for any other crop. 

The maguey manso, already referred to as the source of pulque, produces a fibre which has 
received the name of ixtle and which serves for the manufacture of ropes and coarse canvas. 
This fibre, as well as that from the leaves of the same plant, employed in the manufacture of 
paper, gives a product of remarkable fineness and solidity. All attempts at manufacture which 
have been tried with ixde have succeeded admirably, and it is astonishing that they have not 
been followed by a more systematic development. 

The pita, which abounds in a wild state in Oaxaca, gives a fibre resembling that of the 
ramie and answering the same purposes. Ropes made with Oaxaca pita are four times stronger 
than those of hemp. 

The question of cultivating the india-rubber-tree in Mexico has been agitated consider- 
ably by private parties, as well as by the federal authorities of the republic, as the Supply of 




A Scene along the Tehuantepec Railroad. 



4o8 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

rubber in the accessible regions is diminishing steadily, while the demand for it increases. 
Practical experiments in the cultivation of these trees, according to the officials of the Bureau 
of Ao-riculture, have demonstrated beyond doubt that this industry can be established with 

profit. 

Young trees transplanted from a forest to a cultivated field in Soconusco have yielded 
rubber for more than thirty-five years, the present annual product averaging more than fift^sr-W^' 
pounds of gum for each tree. 

Up to the present time the production of india-rubber in Mexico has consisted in the ex- 
traction of the gum collected by the Indians in a very primitive manner in the forests, where 
they find the trees which produce it. The plants themselves have not been cultivated, nor has 
the extraction of the juice been carried out in a scientific manner. The Indians tap the 
trees, gather the sap in the hollow of a piece of bark or in a pot and boil it, and the gum, 
formed in crude balls, is carried to market. 

The Mexican gum deserves to be taken into consideration. The plants which produce 
it are found in considerable quantities in all the forests of the hot districts, and especially in 
those of the states of Vera Cruz, Tamaulipas, and Tabasco, and on the Pacific slope, on the 
coasts of the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Tepic, Chiapas, etc. 

It is stated that in Tuxpan the milk drawn from rubber-trees is placed in earthenware 
vessels and whipped with a weed called coyuntla, which is an astringent that causes the milk to 
curdle, making the crude rubber. 

The mulberry-tree, to which place is here given because it is the indispensable complement 
of the silk industry, grows in both hot and temperate climates. Under the colonial regime 
several successful attempts to plant mulberry-trees were made in Mexico. 

The tree grows with great rapidity in this country. Besides the plantations of small shoots, 
there have been made considerable plantings of mulberry-seed, which have proved profitable. 

The government has bought from both Japan and China eggs of the best class of silkworm 
and the seed of the more valuable kinds of mulberry. These last have been distributed in 
those districts where silkworm-raising has been carried to the highest development. The 
number of mulberry- trees cultivated in the republic at present exceeds two million. 

Silkworm-raising has succeeded perfectly in several districts in the country, notably in the 
states of Puebla and Jalisco, in which latter there are already several silk-factories. 

It is doubtful if there is any race of people — even the Irish or the French — who eat less 
meat than the Mexicans, and as to intemperance among respectable people, it is almost unknown. 
You will rarely see Mexican genUemen drink anything stronger than claret wine ; and they are 
equally temperate in eating. 

The constant succession of fruits of every variety is in itself a resource which few other 
countries offer. It is not uncommon on the large estates to find that the climate gives a 
chance for every vegetable product to grow and flourish, the lowlands producing all the fruits 
and vegetables of the tropics, and the higher regions those of the temperate zone, according 
to their altitude. 

The apples and peaches of Mexico, except in the colder portions, are not of the highest 
excellence, but the pears are very fine ; indeed, there is one species of this fruit which is 
decidedly the best I have ever seen. It is not only very large, but its flavor is as delicious as 
that of the finest pear ever grown in the United States. 

All the tropical fruits are produced in Mexico, and in fact the most exquisite fruits are 
grown in all the states. 



NATURAL ADVANTAGES 409 

In the hot country the most dehcious fruits are the oranges, Hmes, guavas, anonas. chiri- 
moyas, melons, zapotes, bananas, pineapples, watermelons, mameyes, and mangoes; in the 
colder and temperate regions, aguacates, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums, ''strawberries, 
and blackberries. Grapes, from which excellent wines are made, are cultivated in Sonora, Lower 
California, Puebla, and Oaxaca. 

The entire Mexican coast produces these fruits spontaneously and in great abundance, the 
banana and the orange being the characteristic flora of these regions. 

Baron Humboldt wrote at the beginning of the present Century of the remarkable pro- 
ductiveness of the banana in Mexico, saying that the same spot of ground which planted with 
wheat would support one man, if planted with bananas would support twenty-five. In the 
districts near the sea, at from six hundred to seven hundred metres of altitude oreat planta- 
tions of bananas may be made at about five cents per plant, including all expens^'es up to the 
day of bearmg. At the end of the first year each banana-plant produces a crop. 

Rice, one of the most precious gifts of nature, is produced in hot and moist places and 
especially in Sonoma, the southern part of Morelia, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Guerrero, Vera Cruz 
Morelos, Colima, and Tepic. 

Indigo is cultivated in Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, Colima, and Chiapas, and on almost all the coast- 
lands. 

The potato is raised in nearly all parts of the republic. 

In Oaxaca the nopal (cactus) is cultivated especially for the cochineal, an insect from which 
is produced a fine and brilliant red dye. 

The jalap {Convolvulus Jalapa) grows in a wild state, and is very abundant in the state of 
Vera Cruz. 

The coasts of the hot district produce many other useful plants, among which may be 
mentioned sarsapanlla {Smilax medico), Tabasco pepper [Eugenia Pimenta), and the manioc 
{Jatropha Manihoi), which produces starch, rice, and arrowroot. 

But of all the fruits of Mexico I have eaten nothing finer than the tuna. It is both refresh- 
ing and exquisite in flavor. It is the product of one of the infinite varieties of cactus, of which 
I have seen as many as twenty on a single acre of land. One of these varieties grows to a 
■height of from thirty to forty feet in the form of a beautiful fluted column, and is used to 
enclose gardens by planting close together. 

The cactus which produces the tuna grows to a height of thirty feet and covers an area of 
twenty feet in circumference, with the leaves (if they may be called so) drooping over one another 
exacdy like the shingles on a house. These leaves are from twelve to eighteen inches in 
breadth, and shaped like those of the smaller prickly pear of the North. 

The fruit is about the size and very much the shape of a duck's &gg. The combined flavor 
of a cucumber, a watermelon, and a lump of sugar will give some idea of this delicious fruit, 
which literally melts in the mouth. 

In the valley of Mexico, toward Oueretaro, the white tuna is found. Alfajayucan is noted 
for a very superior variety of this fruit, and from Oueretaro on to Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi 
and Zacatecas, is found the Tuna cardona, or red tuna, from which is made a most refreshinc^ 
drink. * 

The chirimoya is a larger fruit than the tuna, and altogether delicious. The idea which 
occurs to every one on eating it for the first time is that k is a vegetable custard. Every 
American makes that comparison, thinking to say something original ; but I have heard it at 
least a hundred times. 



4IO 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



The "May-apple" also abounds in Mexico, or at least something very much like it. It is 
of the same size as the same fruit in the United States, and the flavor has all the peculiarities 
of the passion-flower. The fruit is exactly the same, except that it has a yellow rind like a lemon. 
It grows on a vine which is something like a grape-vine, instead of trailing on the ground as in 
more northern countries. 

Spain, desirous of preserving for her wines the market of the American colonies and 
fearing rivalry, was always opposed to the cultivation of the vine (as of several other plants) in 
Mexico. If, after the declaration of independence, Mexico had not had so many struggles to 




Coffee Plantation on the Interoceanic Railroad. 



undergo and so many difficulties to conquer, it is almost sure that she would by this time have 
been counted among the richest of wine-growing countries. In fact, immediately after the con- 
quest, and even before, there were timid essays in the plantation of vines, the results of which 
have always been encouraging. The vines of Parras, in the state of Coahuila, had and have 
still the highest reputation in the country ; but the distance of Coahuila from the centres which 
would be able to consume her wines, added to the unfortunate economical situation of the 
country, prevented this industry from acquiring any importance. 

As soon, however, as the complete pacification of the country was effected, and at the same 
time that improvements of all sorts were being pushed, the enterprising minister of public works 
bought vine-shoots in France, Spain, and Italy, and distributed them throughout the country 
to persons capable of undertaking their cultivation. Inspectors named by the government, and 
competent in this cultivation as well as in wine-making, were charged to aid with their counsels 
the inexperienced cultivators and wine-makers. These attempts were crowned with full success. 



NATURAL ADVANTAGES 411 

Not only did the plant not degenerate, but its development everywhere has been surprising. 
At Ixmuquilpan the development of the plant is most satisfactory, and at the end of two years 
bunches have been obtained weighing over two pounds each. 

The reports rendered by the inspectors show that the results obtained in Chihuahua, Zaca- 
tecas, Aguas Calientes, Hidalgo, and Puebla are very satisfactory, but nowhere else have they 
been so stable as at Juarez (Chihuahua) and at Aguas Calientes ; Juarez above all being destined 
for a bi'illiant future, not only by reason of the conditions of her soil and climate, but also 
because of her nearness to the great North American market. 

Unhappily, though the grape crops are good as regards quantity and quality, the wines 
still leave much to desire. The wine-making industry demands a great amount of experience 
and special knowledge, which are lacking among Mexican growers. Here is an opportunity 
for foreigners to step in and finish with profit what has been begun with such excellent promise. 

The magnificent arboreal vegetation of Mexico embraces one hundred and fourteen dif- 
ferent species of building timber and cabinet woods, including oaks, pines, firs, cedars, mahogany, 
rosewood, etc., twelve species of dyewoods, eight of gum-trees, the india-rubber-tree, copal, 
liquidambar, camphor, turpentine pine, mezquite (yielding a substance similar to gum arable), 
dragon-tree, and the almacogo, or Callitris quadrivalvis, from which sandarach is extracted. 

Among the oil-bearing trees and plants there are seventeen varieties, including the olive, 
cocoa-palm, almond, sesame, flax, and the tree yielding the "balsam of Peru." 

The exploitation of the immense Mexican forests, which stand thick with splendid timber 
of the richest and most varied kinds, is most pitiable. Cuttings are made in every conceivable 
way except the right one, without care, without replanting, without prior selection of trees, so 
that there has resulted an enormous waste of the raw material and of time and labor. About 
the centres of population, notably in the environs of the capital, which formerly was surrounded 
with forests of trees that had come down from the ages, the cutting away of the trees has 
been so complete that at present in the valley of Mexico there are but few standing. It is 
necessary to go far therefrom to find forests, which are confined at present to the slopes of 
the mountains surrounding the grand valley. But despite this remarkable waste, there yet 
remains a forest worthy to be worked, beside which the part already worked seems to be but 
a trifle. The establishment of railways has enabled the working of extended forests of enor- 
mous extent and almost fabulous value. Really, only the central plateau has been vandalized ; 
but the coast, so rich and so populous, and all the regions of the interior far from the centres 
of population, have been spared. 

Business in dye-woods is in a very satisfactory condition. In general, the cost of working 
is much less than in timber-cutting, because all that has to be done is to fell the trees ; they 
have not to be sawed, and the smallest pieces have the same commercial value as the largest. 
The principal dye-woods exported are the palo moral, brazil-wood, and Campeche-wood. 

The first, which contains two coloring principles, yielding red and green, is usually employed 
as a yellow dye for cotton and silk, and particularly for wool. Other shades can be obtained by 
combination with indigo, Campeche, brazil-wood, and salts of iron, copper, etc. The palo moral 
grows wild in the states of Guerrero, Michoacan, and Campeche, the most valuable being that 
of the islands of Carmen, Tuxpan, and Tampico. 

Indigo is cultivated specially at Judistan, and the annual crop is from one hundred and ten 
thousand to one hundred and thirty thousand pounds, worth nearly fifty cents per pound. At 
Tonaba there is rather more than half as great a crop, selling at from fifty to one hundred per 
cent, higher. An inferior grade of indigo brings from thirty to thirty-five cents per pound. 



412 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XLVI 

MINERAL RESOURCES 

^^VV^Bk EXICO still seems to have inexhaustible wealth in her mineral resources. Some 
■ 1 1 ■ of her mountains are almost solid masses of iron or gold and silver ore. The 
% I B ^ innumerable enterprises for developing the country have produced, with more 
■^ B B ■^^ or less profit, colossal sums. If the work had been directed from the begin- 
ning with intelligent economy, the importance and profits of the exploitations 
would have been much greater. As for the riches already extracted from the principal mining 
regions, they are insignificant compared with those still shut up in the bowels of the earth. 

Of the two branches of the grand cordillera, the western branch is much the richer in 
metal-bearing deposits. From the time when all these riches shall be developed with enough 
capital and sufficiently intelligent business management, the results attained will be surprising, 
particularly in the rich region comprised by the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, and 
Sinaloa, and in the still unexplored mountains of the states of Michoacan and Guerrero. 

It may be said, without reference to political subdivisions, that the principal Mexican gold- 
and silver-mining deposits are found in a zone two thousand kilometres (twelve hundred and 
fifty miles) long by six hundred kilometres (three hundred and fifty miles) wide, and stretching 
from northwest to southeast. Outside of this district there are in other states mines which 
have been abandoned for a long time, but which to-day are being prospected. 

It is impossible to state the degree of fineness of the ores, there being considerable varia- 
tion. In some districts there is almost fabulous richness ; in others there is only poor ore. The 
most celebrated mine in the country, the Valenciana, in Guanajuato, which is worked to-day 
with success, has given its best dividends with ores containing only five ounces of silver per 
quintal ; and the same at Pachuca, where ores even less rich than those of the Valenciana have 
been giving the best results. These are large deposits of comparatively poor ore. The richer 
veins and irregular deposits have produced, and are still producing, masses of native silver of 
a grade so high as to appear almost fabulous. These cases are frequent in Sonora, Chihuahua, 
and Jalisco. At Batopilas a single mass weighed over one hundred and fifty pounds, and 
brought two thousand eight hundred and sixty-two dollars. 

A vein of silver discovered by an Indian near Tastioto, Sonora, assays five hundred dollars 
per ton 

Of all the auriferous districts of the republic. El Cerro Colorado (Red Mountain), in the state 
of Chihuahua, is undoubtedly the richest. It is being worked at present by a Mexican company. 

The zone now being worked, after thorough examination, is found to yield sixteen dollars of 
gold to the ton, and comprises about eighty thousand tons of ore. Gold has been found on the 
mountain-top, as well as on the slopes and base, hence it is believed that the mountain contains 
immense masses of rich ore not yet discovered. The system of reduction adopted, which has 
given excellent results, is by direct amalgamation, using the Huntington mills. This enterprise 



MINERAL RESOURCES 413 

of Cerro Colorado has a brilliant future, and if the company now working there will continue 

with the same energy and skill that it is now manifesting, untold riches will be its reward. 

Ihe samples of meteoric iron found in Mexico are mentioned in almost every treatise on 

that metal. Magnetic iron abounds. Reference is made elsewhere to the famous iron mountain, 

and there are other deposits, which, without having so great importance as the latter, are 

very interesting. In the district of Coalcoman (state of Michoacan) iron exists in deposits 

which, while irregular, are often colossal. There are many remarkable and very rich deposits, 

notabl)' that of Chorreras in the state of Chihuahua. Yet during the past few years there ha\-e 

been over two thousand miles of railway built with imported rails. 

In 1892 there was transported from Chupaderos, state of Chihuahua, to the capital the 

most noted meteor ever found in the repubhc of Mexico. It broke in two pieces as it fell, both 

together weighing twenty-eight tons. 

There are twenty-one states of the Mexican republic known as mining states,— Lower 

California, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, 

Michoacan, Morelos, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, 

Puebla, Oueretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, 

Sonora, Tamaulipas, Vera Cruz, and Zaca- 

tecas. 

The number of minerals found in the 

republic is three hundred and twenty-four. 

There are twelve hundred and forty-seven 
mines in operation, and four hundred and 
forty-seven owned by different companies 
which are not worked. These mines pro- 
duce gold, gold and silver, silver, copper, 
lead, cinnabar. 

From our knowledge of ancient history 
of the great southwest we conclude that the 
civilization of the Toltecs and the Aztecs 
dates back to the seventh century, and from 
that time until the arrival of Cortez in 15 19, 
over nine hundred years, we have evidence 
that these ancient and primitive people de- 
voted a portion of their attention to working 
the precious metals. It is also evident that 
they mined in the most crude and imperfect 
manner, washing for gold and rough-smelting 
for silver. The process was imperfect in 
separating gold from silver, and much of their 




Tunnel, Interoceanic Railro.^d. 



silver carried considerable gold. Yet in their workmanship they showed high artistic skill and 
great mechanical knowledge. At the time of the advent of Cortez Mexico was rich in gold and 
silver in every condition of use and ornament. The value of the treasure that Montezuma 
brought to Cortez as a present to the Spanish king, according to Prescott's estimate, was seven 
million four hundred and twenty-two thousand dollars. This'^does not include a vast amount of 
ornaments and the priceless jewels that were retained by Cortez and his followers. This can be 
taken as some evidence of the vast wealth of the ancient Toltecs and Aztecs, though little of their 



414 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

aold and silver was brought to the knowledge of the greedy Spanish soldiery. Subsequently 
the Spaniards applied their knowledge of mining to the precious metals, and year by year 
extended their possessions and their facilities, introducing the use of quicksilver and approved 
methods aside from smelting. As time progressed we find the business of mining and that of 
treatincr or working the ores becoming separated, until shortly previous to 1810, the year of 
Mexico's greatest prosperity, the two were totally distinct. At this time the rescatadores bought 
the ores, hauling them to their haciendas, and reducing them by the most approved appliances 
then known. This system was carried on to an enormous extent, a vast floating capital being 
employed, and all classes being deeply Interested in a fascinating and productive industry. 
Mining was extended to the northward, and soon the most ancient mining-ground of the Toltecs 
and Aztecs in Arizona and New Mexico, whence they had been driven to the south by famine 
and the attacks of the barbarous Red Indians, would have been again opened to the eyes of the 
world. But in the year 18 10 occurred the great revolution which was the commencement of the 
internecine troubles and civil wars which disrupted this unfortunate country. 

For fifteen years after the beginning of the revolution the products of the metals decreased 
immeasurably. The civil war destroyed the chain of communication between capital, which 
was buying and working the ores, and the miners or producers. Haciendas were ruined, and in 
many cases the machinery and works on the mines were destroyed. In all districts the principal 
mines were abandoned and machinery allowed to go to absolute ruin. The silver produced 
was only the gleaning of more prosperous times. The lower classes, by a desultory system, 
gathered only the rich surface-ores. The sole exception was the mines at Tazco, a short dis- 
tance south of the capital, where there was a military station. 

Humboldt, who in his studies of Mexican mineralogy is generally accurate, said, "The 
common feldspar belongs to the most ancient formations, as the mines of Pachuca, Real del 
Monte, and Moran, which furnish twice as much silver as Saxony, are contained therein. We 
frequently discover only vitreous feldspar in the porphyries of Mexico." The most ancient 
rock known is in the district of Guanajuato, the clay slate, which rests on the granite rocks 
of Zacatecas and the Penon Blanco. It is ash-gray or grayish black, frequently intersected by 
innumerable small quartz veins, which pass into talc slate and schistose chlorite. In the mines 
of Valencia are discovered banks of syenite, hornblende slate, and true serpentine alternating 
and forming subordinate veins in the clay slate. Two different formations rest on the clay 
slate, — porphyry, at a considerable elevation, and the old freestone of the ravine and table-land 
of low elevation. The porphyry of the Sierra de Santa Rosa, of a greenish color, varies 
according to the nature of the base and the crystals contained. The oldest hornstone or com- 
pact feldspar is found passing into ptotonite or klingstein of Werner, which latter has a great 
analogy to the porphyry slate. 

The veins of Guanajuato contam common quartz, carbonate of lime, pearl spar, splintery 
hornstone, calcareous spar, a little sulphate of baryta, and brown spar. The most abundant 
metals are prismatic black silver and red plunet or vitreous silver, mixed with native silver and 
silberschwartz. In the Catorce mine the gangue is decomposed, and contains lime spar, red 
ochre, and muriated and native silver. In Tazco and Real de Tehuilotepec are calcareous spar, 
lacteous quartz, gypsum, oxide of iron, galena, etc. 

The district of Santa Eulalia, in the state of Chihuahua, a space of two square leagues, is 
thickly interspersed with veins of silver. Two hundred mines were worked, upward of fifty 
of them to a depth of six hundred feet, which would be the greatest limit, as the water and ore 
had to be carried out on the backs of the natives. 



MINERAL RESOURCES 415 

The famous vein of Guanajuato alone, since the beginning of the sixteenth century, pro- 
duced three hundred miUion dollars, and during ten years of its greatest activity about eighty 
million dollars. The provincial treasurers' receipts from eleven principal mines during eleven 
years show a production of eighty million dollars. The silver exported from Vera Cruz annually 
equalled two-thirds of the silver extracted from the globe. The amount of production of the 
above mines, considering the crude manner in which they were worked in those days, shows 
conclusively that the ores must have been very rich and extensive. If these mines had been 
owned and worked by our present skilled miners, with modern appliances, the yield would have 
been fabulous. The total product of Mexican mines since they began to be worked is estimated 
at five and a half billions of dollars. 

The last ten years have added a tremendous value to the mining interest, not only in 
opening up many new fields and generally stimulating the public mind, but also because of 
the more exact appliance of science to mining processes. The last link to bind the Mexican 
mineral world to American wealth is now being welded by the extension of the railway system 
through the republic. This once accomplished, there must be a legitimate mining excitement 
over Mexico which has not been equalled in her history. For no other mining region of North 
America has been so bounteously endowed by nature, not only as to ores of exceeding rich- 
ness, but also as to extent of the mineral field, as Mexico. 

The Spanish fathers must have become aware at an early date of the rich deposits of copper 
in the northern district of Lower California, and it was probably the first metal to receive their 
attention. That copper was mined to a considerable extent by the old mission padres is evident 
from the number of bells, kettles, implements, and utensils which were manufactured in a crude 
way in those days. 

At San Telmo may be seen the ruins of an old foundry with its furnaces, and several cal- 
drons are still there which were hammered out of copper mined in the vicinity. 

At the San Fernando Mission, which at one time numbered about five thousand people, the 
most extensive work was done ; and it is said that nearly all the mission bells in this district, as 
well as in California, were wrought in a primitive way by its priestly coppersmiths. One of the 
bells at the Rosario Mission, below San Ouintin, marked "El Rosario" and dated " 1810," 
was cast at San Fernando. 

During the excitement at Alamo some years ago, and at Mexican Gulch, where the Viznaga 
mine is now pouring out a golden stream, spoons and horns were found, and decomposed sec- 
tions of an antiquated arrastra, showing that these deposits were worked in the early part of 
this century. 

Copper has been for a long time neglected in Mexico, and only recently has assumed any 
considerable importance, although its deposits are numerous. 

Mercury has special interest in the Mexican mining industry, because of the process of 
treating silver ore generally adopted in the country. There are yearly consumed over seven 
hundred tons of mercury, of which hardly half is produced in the country, the rest coming from 
California and Spain. However, there are in Mexico important mercury deposits, the only 
trouble being that the miners have been so busy working silver, with which they are familiar, 
that they have let the mercury remain unworked and even unseen. This metal is found in 
several states, particularly in Oueretaro. 

Calamine is found in Mexico, but is not yet exploited ; zinc is found in quantities in the 
form of blendes accompanied by silver ore. Antimony and manganese, while found in several 
mines, have not been worked. Although there are no mines exclusively of zinc worked in the 



4i6 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



republic, it is extracted in a few places, as in Vallecillo, in the state of Nuevo Leon, where silver- 
lead-mines are worked containing a great deal of zinc ore, which is separated and exported to 
Germany. 

Platinum is found in the state of Hidalgo. A European company with the necessary capital 
would probably succeed. There are also found nickel and osmium at several points in the 
country. 

Lead, as necessary as mercury for treating silver ores, is found everywhere, — above all, in 
the form of galena and in small quantities as carbonate. 

Metallic lead, which may be mined, and from which silver is extracted, is found in enormous 
masses at Lomo de Toro (state of Hidalgo) and in several other quarters. Large deposits of 




The Bend, on the Cuernavaca and Pacific Railroad. 

silver-lead ores are found at Sierra Mojoda, state of Coahuila, and are being worked advan- 
tageously. Most of these ores go to the Monterey smelters. 

Mexican mining can be suspended, developed, or retarded according to the wish of the 
proprietor, subject only to police regulations and those touching the safety of the miners. The 
government of Mexico, desiring to develop the mining industries of the republic, has taken a 
very important step by passing a mining law that will induce American capitalists to enter the 
promising field of its yet but partially explored mineral regions. 

The principal deposits of sulphur are at San Antonio, Guascaman (San Luis Potosi), Mapimi 
(Durango), and the volcanic region of Michoacan (Taximasoa), Popocatepetl, and several dis- 
tricts in the centre and north of Lower California. 

The marble of Galeana (Chihuahua) is comparable to that of Carrara ; that of Tecali, 



MINERAL RESOURCES 417 

which, although a marble, is known to every one in the United States under the name of Mexican 
onyx, is of admirable transparency and variety of color. 

The state of Nuevo Leon produces a great variety of colored and white marbles, and the 
same might be said of almost all the other states. The gray, black, and other colored marbles, 
more or less beautiful, of Orizaba (Vera Cruz) constitute to-day one of the vastest and most im- 
portant mterests in Mexico. The quarries are very numerous, and their exploitation is devel- 
oped day by day. 

There is no marble or other stone which has ever compared in beauty with the Tecali 
Mexican marble or Mexican onyx. For centuries before the conquest the Aztec artists and 
architects found in this marble their favorite material, which was so highly prized that they con- 
sidered it too sacred for common use, and so devoted it almost entirely to religious structure 
and decorations. Its Indian name tecali is merely a corruption of the Aztec word teocalli,— a 
large mansion,— a name which the Indians gave to their temples. In the days of Cortez altars 
and baptismal fonts were always made of it when it could be obtained. While the ordinary 
grades probably surpass in elegance any similar material, it is only in the light and dark grained, 
the ivory-colored, the brilliantly banded, and the dark-red varieties that there is had a full realiza- 
tion of this stone at its best. Under the touch of a skilled hand it becomes almost a gem. It 
owes its combination of colors to iron and manganese. It is as hard as marble, but susceptible 
of a higher polish. In the quarries it comes in detached masses of from a few inches up to ten 
or twelve feet. The inferior qualities that lack color are sawed into very thin slabs, so thin as 
to be almost transparent, which are then colored and pencilled to make a fair counterfeit of the 
real article, after which the side that is painted is covered with a coating of very fine cement, 
giving it the appearance of having been merely sawed and then polished. All the quarries are 
small. The most famous. La Pedrera, in the district of Tecali, twenty-one miles from Puebla, 
is less than three acres in extent, and the average quarry not over seven feet, but the value of 
the material taken from this small area is hard to realize. The material obtained is a very fine 
quality of green, from very light to very dark, sometimes showing a slight tinge of red or pink. 
The most abundant precious stone is the opal. One of the heroes of the war of indepen- 
dence, General Guerrero, has several diamonds which were given to him by one of his soldiers, 
who found them during an expedition in that part of the Sierra Madre which crosses the state 
of Guerrero. The deposits which yielded these precious stones, and concerning which the 
general has given but very vague information, have been vainly sought by explorers. There 
have also been found in Mexico the topaz, the ruby, the emerald, and the garnet. 

The most celebrated salt-mines in Mexico are those of Penon Blanco (San Luis Potosi), 
their products containing from seventy to eighty per cent, of pure chloride of sodium. In the 
same state are found the equally important salt-mines of Tapado and Zamorelia. On the coast 
of both oceans there are a great number of salt-mines, those most worked being the mines 
of Yucatan. 

Until 1 88 1 Mexican geologists asserted that there was no mineral coal in Mexico, but 
since that time investigators have found deposits in various parts of the country, particularly 
one in the state of Sonora, in which the percentage of carbon is so high as to cause General 
Rosencranz to give it the name of " black gold." Government commissions have found coal in 
Sonora, Michoacan, Vera Cruz, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, and other states. There are also 
deposits in the north, in the states of Chihuahua and Coahuila. Coal is also found in the states 
of Tlaxcala and Hidalgo, where it is not worked. The most important of these deposits are 
those of Sonora, Puebla, and Coahuila. 



41 8 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

Despite the fact that the coal discovered Is of unusual richness, the Mexicans have never 
worked the deposits. The first important purchase was made in Coahuila by Mr. C. P. Hunt- 
ino-ton. This coal contains seventy-three per cent, of fixed carbon, and has a heating power of 
eighty-two and four-tenths per cent. The very first year that Mr. Huntington's mines were 
worked they yielded one hundred and fifty thousand tons, and they are now producing two 
hundred and fifty thousand tons a year. 

Mexico uses about five million gallons of petroleum per annum. Crude petroleum springs 
running freely are to be seen on the banks of several rivers, some of them having a natural 
flow three inches in diameter. This industry has not been developed. 

Attention may be called to abundant and easily worked sources upon the Gulf of Mexico, 
and above all those of Macuspana (state of Tabasco). They have not been worked, except 
to a trifling extent in the state of Vera Cruz, where there are rich deposits. 

All along the Gulf coast there are traces of asphalt, and in the northern part are deposits 
thereof. This asphalt may be broken into blocks and floated down the river to the sea-coast, 
there to be collected and loaded on vessels. 

Lower California contains, besides silver and copper and gold, mica, alum, saltpetre, borax, 
salt, and sulphur. The litde islands of Rasa, St. Teresa, and Palos contain phosphates, o( 
which there are exported about fifty thousand dollars' worth per year. 

The leo-al taxes in takino- title to a mine are one dollar for admission and declaration and 
five dollars for adjudication. The costs of advertisement are charged to the claimant, as well as 
the tax of two dollars per league to the member of the delegation who makes the adjudication. 

Mines and deposits of every inorganic substance may be exploited without authorization 
from the owners of the land on which they are found ; these, however, reserving their rights in 
coal, building-stone, mineral springs, and placers of all metals except gold and platinum, and 
of precious stones. 

The Mexican government, desirous of favoring the development of the mining industry, 
and understanding that the small legal claim of two hundred metres square allowed to one 
person would not attract foreign capital, gives large companies special concessions, embracing 
a considerable extent of territory, and permitting the working of many veins, thus diminishing 
the fleeting character of enterprises of this kind. A mining company may have a maximum of 
twenty claims in ordinary cases and thirty where the company works newly discovered mines or 
takes up work in an abandoned mining district. The maximum quantity of land that may be 
taken up is one million eight hundred thousand square metres. All special concessions made 
to companies last ten years, after which the companies come under the general law. They 
must invest in working their mines at least two hundred thousand dollars. This sum is exempt 
from all federal taxation except that of timber. 

The name Atotonilco is very common in Mexico, and always indicates the proximity of 
warm mineral springs. 

Sponges, nTother-of-pearl, and shell — which can hardly be deemed mining products, yet 
which cannot be classed among agricultural productions — are found in abundance of the best 
quality on both coasts, and are already worked regularly in Vera Cruz, Yucatan, and Lower 
California. The government, in order to develop this branch of industry, has already made very 
liberal concessions to companies desiring to follow this profitable line. It is an infant industry, 
but well worthy of recommendation, — above all, because the capital necessary to establish it is 
very small, while the profits are high. 

At Yucatan tortoise-shell is manufactured with considerable skill into articles of ornament. 



RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS 



419 



CHAPTER XLVII 



RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS 



^^B^^HE time has gone by when Mexico was isolated from her fellow-republics and the 
m I world at large by lack of means of communication. At present she has large and 

^ I J rapidly developing facilities of transportation of matter and communication of 
^^B^ thought. 

- The first concession granted for the construction of a railway in the Valley of 

Mexico was issued on October 12, 1852, the concessionnaire being Count Cortina, who is often 

and favorably mentioned in Madame Calderon 

de la Barca's "Life in Mexico." The charter 

was for a line from the city of Mexico toTlal- 

pam, passing en roitte through the towns of 

Tacubaya, Mixcoac, Coyacan, and San Angel. 

'The count was a very brilliant and versatile 
~^ I man, being at once a litterateur, a journalist, a 

man of business, and a conspicuous figure in 

society. But he did not succeed as a railroad- 
builder, and the concession lapsed. The next 

charter was granted on August 13, 1856, to 

Mr. Georee Luis Hammecken for the construe- 

tion of a railway from Mexico to Tacubaya. 

This line, which was no other than the present 

one, was bought by the Mexican (Vera Cruz) 

Railroad in 1865. 

The railway era of Mexico may be dated 

from the year 1880, when the charters were 

granted under which the two great systems of 

the country, the Mexican Central and the 

Mexican National, were commenced. These 

charters were dated respectively the 8th and the 

1 3th of September, 1880 ; and then followed the 

flood of concessions for railways which, if all 

had been carried out, were more than sufficient 

to create a complete net-work of rails, covering the whole country from north to south, from 

east to west. 

The development of railway construction in Mexico since 1880 has been really remarkable, 

and the benefits which have resulted to the republic are incalculable. From a turbulent nation, 




Major Robert B. Gorsuch. 



420 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

always in civil war, without security on its highways for travellers or protection for capital and 
business ; without any export trade, and with a stationary import trade ; without a sure revenue ; 
without credit in the financial markets of the world ; its only means of communication the heavy 
diligencia drawn by twelve or fourteen mules and making not over seventy-five miles a day ; its 
transportation of merchandise limited to pack-mules and clumsy carts, whose rate of travel was 
at most fifteen miles in twenty-four hours, Mexico has been transformed by steel rails and the 
locomotive into a nation possessing six thousand five hundred and ten miles of railway, and 
these are daily increasing, connecting all its important cities, and creating centres of trade ; with 
a rapidly growing export trade and an annually increasing import trade ; a stable and strong 
government inviting foreign capital and foreign enterprise into the country and affording them 
the fullest protection ; with an established credit throughout the financial world, and with peace, 
security, prosperity, and contentment reigning throughout the land from the Rio Grande to its 
southern limits, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 

Of the existing railways, eight hundred and ninety miles have been built by native capital 
and native engineers and are managed entirely by Mexicans, and five thousand six hundred 
and twenty miles by foreign capital and foreign engineers, and are managed by foreigners, 
mostly English and American. 

The first concession for the creation of a street railway system proper was granted under 
the Empire, in 1865, to a Frenchman, Carlos T. Arnoux, and after being renewed on February 
19, 1866, was finally declared to have been forfeited on November 13 of the same year. But 
no great progress was effected in the creation of a tramway system until 1878, when the Dis- 
trict Railway Company was brought into existence. Concessions were obtained in quick suc- 
cession for the lines uniting the city of Mexico with all the other towns and villages in the Valley. 
An American company, with Mr. Thomas H. McLean as president, has now come into pos- 
session of the street railways of the city of Mexico, and is extending them rapidly. 

The great railway of Mexico, from the traffic and mileage pomt of view, is the Mexican 
Central, whose system extends over eighteen hundred and fifty-five miles, the main line being 
from Mexico City to Ciudad Juarez, on the Rio Grande frontier, with branch lines to Guanajuato, 
San Luis Potosi and Tampico, Pachuca and Guadalajara.-^ The scenery on the line of the 
Mexican Central is characteristic of the country in all its variations. On the northern end, 
leaving Juarez, you pass through the- prairies of the state of Chihuahua ; then through the rocky 
ranges of the state of Zacatecas, filled with minerals of every kind, where mines have been 
worked for over three hundred years ; through Aguas Calientes, with its luscious grapes and 
hot baths and great American sm el ting-works ; then through Irapuato, with its delicious straw- 
berries, and Celaya, with its tempting dried and candied fruits ; then through Oueretaro, with 
its historical and romantic reminiscences of the collapse of the ephemeral empire Napoleon 
attempted to raise on the ruins of a republic under a hapless Austrian prince ; then through 
Tula, with its Toltec ruins and fine agricultural lands ; now through the imposing Nochistongo 
cut, a huge monument to Spanish misspent efforts to drain the Valley of Mexico in 1607 ; then 
the capital of the republic is approached through cultivated fields and ranches where herds of 
cattle are pasturing ; then, at last, after an entertaining ride of twelve hundred and twenty-four 
miles in luxurious Pullman cars, through ever-varying scenery, you enter the city of Mexico, 
where once were the mystic halls of the Montezumas, and where now are all the attractions of 
a charming climate, novelties beyond description, rich in traditions and romantic reminiscences 
of the past, all replete with interest for the tourist. 

The Mexican Central's division from near Aeuas Calientes to San Luis Potosi and thence 



RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS 



421 



to the splendid port of Tampico presents in some places the wildest, grandest scenery it is 
possible to imagine ; it passes through deep, rugged canons and then winds through lands as 
rich as nature can make them, and covered with an exuberance of vegetation all the year 
round. 
!fc The Mexican National is next in importance, taking the second place in traffic and miles 

operated. Its system covers one thousand and fifty-two miles, and consists of its main line from 
the city of Mexico to Laredo on the Rio Grande, with a branch to Morelia and Patzcuaro and 
another to El Salto. 

The scenery on the line of the National is at some points grand and picturesque. 
V The Mexican Railway is next in traffic importance. Its system embraces three hundred 
and twenty-one miles, consisting of the main line from Mexico to Vera Cruz, with a branch to 
Puebla and another to Pachuca. Among the contracting parties was Mr. Thomas Braniff the 
well-known American resident 
and millionaire, whose fortune 
is associated with the steady 
progress of the country. Mr. 
Braniff's financial ability was 
exercised most opportunely 
during a critical period in the 
construction of this the first rail- 
way venture from the coast to 
the capital city, and he is now 
actively connected with several 
of the most progressive indus- 
tries established during recent 
years. 

The Mexican Railway Com- 
pany, the original pioneer rail- 
way in the republic, is organized 
with British capital ; its head 
office is in London, and its 
rolling stock of the English pat- 
tern. The main line leads from 

the Buena Vista station in the city of Mexico, seven thousand three hundred and forty-nine feet 
above the sea, two hundred and sixty-three miles by an average descending grade to Vera Cruz, 
at the sea-level f but at one point (Ocotlan) the line is eight thousand three hundred feet above 
the sea. Most of the seven thousand three hundred and forty-nine feet of descent is made 
in a distance of twenty miles between Boca del Monte and Maltrata, this twenty miles (on the 
right side of the train) being the best worth seeing of the whole line ; but of this later. So 
precipitous is the grade that the Indian who sells fruit and flowers at one of the half-way 
stations has time to clamber down the canon road to Maltrata before the train gets there. 

In many parts of the line the scenery is grand. Leaving the city of Mexico, it passes 

through the great pulque district which supplies the popular national beverage, and then winds 

down around and among wooded and steep mountains, where the scenery is enchanting and 

the enp-ineerino' is admirable and bold. 

^ The narrow-gauge Interoceanic Railway in part competes with the Mexican Railway. Its 




AcRo>^ nil. Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 



42 2 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



svstem covers five hundred and tliirty miles, Its main line being from Vera Cruz to Puebla and 
Mexico and southward from Mexico through the state of Morelos to Ixtla, with a branch line 
from Puebla to Matamoros, Izucar, and Chietla. From Mexico it also passes through the pulque 
district to Puebla ; thence to Perote, an old Spanish fortress ; Jalapa, the capital of the state of 
Vera Cruz, called the " City of Flowers" ; thence to Vera Cruz, touching many intermediate 
towns. The other part of the main line runs from Mexico to Amecameca, where is the famous 
shrine of the Sacre-Monte, visited annually by thousands of pilgrims. 

This railway purchased all the concessions granted by the Mexican government to Senor 
Don Delfin Sanchez, who constructed all the lines. Through the great executive ability of this 
latter gentleman the line is not only the best but the most cheaply constructed in the country. __ 

This road is considered by the Mexicans 
themselves as of such great importance in the 
development of their resources that Presi- 
dent Diaz in person specially requested the 
writer to inspect it from one end to the other, 
a task which was rendered much more easy, 
while its results were much more thorough, 
by a most comfortable and well-equipped 
special train. 

,' The Mexican International Railway, a 
short, standard-gauge route to Mexico, and 
the only standard-gauge road to Monterey, 
has its eastern terminus at Ciudad Porfirio 
Diaz, opposite Eagle Pass, Texas, where it 
connects with the Southern Pacific system. 
Trevino, formerly called Venadito, two hun- 
dred and twenty-four miles from Ciudad Por- 
firio Diaz, is the junction with the Monterey 
and Mexican Gulf road, and Torreon, three 
hundred and eighty-four miles from Ciudad 
Porfirio Diaz, with the Mexican Central road. 
At Sabinas the line branches to the San 
Felipe coal-mines ; at Hornos a branch runs 
through the cotton district of the republic 
to San Pedro. From Monclova its line to 
Sierra Mojada runs, and its Durango extension commences at Torreon, and is of great impor- 
tance to the country. It is the finest equipped line in Mexico, and its road-bed, bridges, and 
culverts are alike first-class. 

The San Pedro branch runs through the cotton district of Mexico. Over sixty thousand 
bales of cotton are annually shipped over it to mills in the city of Mexico, Hercules, and other 
large cotton-factories in the republic. The International Railway comprises five hundred and 
seventy-three miles ; in addition to its main line from Eagle Pass, or rather Ciudad Porfirio Diaz, 
on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, to the city of Durango, it has branch lines to Hondo, 
to San Pedro, and to Velardena. 

The main line leavms^ Porfirio Diaz strikes the Central at Torreon, and thence runs to 
Durango, the capital of the state. In Its course It connects many flourishing towns, and passes 




Colonel Joe H. Hampson. 



RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS 



423 



through grazing-lands, agricultural districts, and mining regions ; at Durango it taps the greatest 
iron mountain in the world. Its branch from Sabinas runs to the great coal-field of San Felipe- 

^ Major Robert B. Gorsuch is the official representative of Mr. C. P. Huntington in all 

his great enterprises in the republic. He makes his home in the city, and is the most distin- 
guished American that has ever lived in Mexico. He came from New York early in 1850 

■ to commence the construction of the Vera Cruz Railroad. He has taken an active interest 
in every railroad development in the country, and his complete study of everything that has 
tended toward the material progress of Mexico has made him the authority on all important 




Two Tunnels on the Interoceanic Railroad. 

matters pertaining to the growth of the country. The great men of Mexico are his personal 
friends, and to his rare store of solid and general knowledge of the republic I am indebted for 
much valuable information. 

The Hidalgo and Northwestern was begun in 18S0 by native capital and Mexican engi- 
neers. Its main line is from Mexico to Tulancingo, with a branch to Pachuca, and traverses the 
great agricultural region of the northern part of the state of Vera Cruz and the water-shed of 
the broad Tux pan River. 

The Mexican Southern Railway, from Puebla to Oaxaca, three hundred and twenty-eight 
miles, passes through a rich and extensive agricultural country in its whole length.- It touches 
the towns of Tehuacan, Tecomovaca, Tomellin, Huitzo, and Eda, as well as many others of 
less importance. Oaxaca is one of the historic places of Mexico, and gave the republic Benito 
Juarez and Porfirio Diaz. A short distance from the city are the wonderful ruins of Mida, the 
vestiges of an Egyptian civilization, and the great cypress-tree at Tula, the trunk of which 



424 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



measures one hundred feet in circumference. The Mexican Southern began operation in 1891, 
and for a short distance parallels the Interoceanic Railway. 

When we consider how important a city Oaxaca has been without the railway, we may form 
some idea of how it has now commenced to take giant strides in population, commerce, and 
influence. 

The Mexico, Cuernavaca and Pacific Railway, though the last of the thirty Mexican rail- 
ways to begin construction, is specially worthy of mention for its beautiful scenery and unequalled 

panoramas. The line is destined to reach the 
Pacific port of Acapulco. Forty-six miles of 
this road have been completed from Mexico 
City to Las Tres Marias, with active building 
now in progress and preliminaries going on 
toward the building to its Pacific terminus. 

This is, without question, the scenic road 
of Mexico. Leaving the city, it runs through 
pretty suburban farms, gradually ascending to 
Contreras, where one has a complete view of 
the Valley of Mexico, with its old capital at 
your feet. Here you have a panorama em- 
bracing at least fifty miles in length and twenty- 
five miles in width, with the lakes of Texcoco, 
Chalco, and Xochimilco and the white walls of 
over twenty villages and Chapultepec Castle 
gleaming below. All the way up the mountain- 
side from Contreras to Arenal this vast pano- 
rama is in view. Then you pass the foot of 
the old Ajusco volcano, which centuries ago 
bathed the country in lava, through which the 
line now runs. Next the wide forests of 
Huitzilac are reached, where huge pine-trees, 
bending to the breeze, wave you a welcome. 
At Tres Marias, — or the Three Marys, of 
whom there is an interesting tradition, — three thousand feet above Mexico, you see the broad 
valley of Cuernavaca four thousand feet below, stretching out seventy miles, green with the 
cane-fields of the sugar plantations and dotted with the villages which surround the mills. 
There, too, is the beautiful city of Cuernavaca, with its picturesque suburbs and orchards full 
of coffee-plants and fruit-trees. The route of this road is also made interesting by legends of 
the past, the crumbling ruins of ancient cities, fortresses, and temples, the mysterious caverns 
trendino- and windingr for miles undero^round, in which subterranean rivers flow, fishes and birds 
abound, and the most fantastic forms of stalactites are found ; and here is the palace the con- 
quering Cortez built for a residence, which the visionary Maximilian occupied when weary of 
politics and the din of arms. 

These roads are sufficient to give an idea of what may be seen and studied in Mexico 
while travelling with comfort and, if you wish, with luxurious ease and every commodity at 
command. 
' Colonel Joe H. Hampson is the young president of this road, — another American who has 




Hon. Thomas Braniff. 



RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS 425 

reflected lustre from the United States. He is no ordinary man. Resolute and indefatigable, 
every one regards him here with pride and affection as a typical American whom success and 
fortune have left unspoiled, a worthy continuer of the great traditions of the American railway- 
constructors in Spanish-speaking lands. Open-handed, liberal to a degree, a born commander 
of men, Hampson is of the Cecil Rhodes type, a developer of new regions, one of those men 
who were born for great affairs. 

These new lines, pushing on to the Pacific, Huntington's in Northern and Hampson's in 
Central Mexico, will enable Mexican manufactures, working on a silver basis, to reach out for 
the west coast trade of South America. And it is believed that the Mexico, Cuernavaca, and 
Pacific road will open up extensive coal-fields in the state of Guerrero, cheapening fuel over 
a large region. 

After fourteen years of work and ten million dollars of expenditure, the National Tehuan- 
tepec Railroad, running across the Tehuantepec peninsula from Salina Cruz on the Pacific side 
to Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf side, has been completed. This railroad is just now recognized as 
one of the most important railroads in the world. It is one hundred and twenty-two miles long, 
and the Mexican government owns and controls the line. The Tehuantepec Railroad will in 
time revolutionize the freight traffic between San Francisco and New York, because the route is 
shorter than by the Isthmus of Panama by fifteen hundred miles. An international interest has 
Ibeen awakened in this Mexican enterprise, and the route to China from important foreign ports 
is shorter by seven hundred miles than via the Suez Canal. 

By a strange freak of topography, at Tehuantepec Isthmus is the only break in the Sierra 
Madre Mountains from Guaymas to Panama, a distance of nearly two thousand miles." At 
Salina Cruz, where the railroad terminates, the greatest altitude is only seven hundred feet 
above sea-level, and there is a natural break of thirty miles across through the low mountains, 
making an easy passage for the road. Here, also (at Salina Cruz), is a fine open roadstead. 
The harbor on the Gulf side is superb, having a depth of thirteen feet six inches of water, with 
a hard clay formation and no sand-bars. After crossing the bar, and for a distance of thirt)- 
miles up the Coatzacoalcos River, there is a continuous depth of forty feet of water, doing away 
with the necessity of lighters, an unavoidable and heavy expense at Panama. 

When all improvements are completed, the commerce of the world will seek this route for 
trade between Europe and California, the western parts of Mexico, the Pacific States, and the 
western coast of South America ; besides, this route must be preferred to Suez, particularl}' in 
trade with Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. 

The Tehuantepec Isthmus improvement provides for the development of two great harbors 
and the construction of the Tehuantepec Railway. At Coatzacoalcos, the harbor on the Atlantic 
side, the contract will call for the expenditure of two million five hundred thousand dollars. At 
Salina Cruz, on the Pacific side of the isthmus, it is estimated that four million five hundred 
thousand dollars will be spent. 

Very elaborate will be the work of building a harbor on the Pacific side of the isthmus. 
Salina Cruz is an open roadstead with a depth of fifty feet of water only a little way out from 
the shore. A harbor is to be made by the building of two breakwaters. One will be three 
thousand five hundred feet long, the other will be an elbow and will have a length of eight hun- 
dred feet. The contract adopts the ideas of Mexican engineers, which are a compromise or 
combination of all the proposed solutions for this harbor problem. Rubble and concrete will 
be used in the construction of the breakwater, which will be practically a sea-wall. The height 
of the wall from the foundation to the top of the parapet will be seventy feet. There will be 



426 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



sixteen feet above water at high tide. At the base, on the sea bottom, this marine breakwater 
will have a width of three hundred and fifty feet. The thickness will narrow as the wall rises, 
and at the parapet the wall will be twenty-four feet. Six years is the contract time allowed for 
the completion of the Salina Cruz harbor. 

The contractor who is completing the twenty-million-dollar contract at Vera Cruz is the 
one who has undertaken the harbor improvements at Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz, with the 
reconstruction of the Tehuantepec Railway and the concession to operate it for fifty years. He 
is Sir Weetman Pearson, an Englishman, the foremost contractor in the world. He built the 
drainage-canal to relieve the city of Mexico. He is building the Blackwell tunnel under the 
Thames ; he is constructing irrigation-works in Egypt at a cost of twenty-five million dollars. 
The character of his achievements inspires confidence that is having great effect on Southern 
Mexico. 

For a distance of fifty miles up the Coatzacoalcos and Uspanapa Rivers the landscape is 
one long stretch of low and level country of extremely fertile soil and covered with a luxuriance 
of tropical vegetation that is not surpassed in the world. Birds of startling plumage brighten 
the scene, and the water, clear as crystal, cuts its way to the sea through bowers of green 
rich in color and gay with song. This is the native home of cacao, from which chocolate is 
made. In a picturesque casa by the water-way one may enjoy the most palatable dish ever 

tasted. It is prepared by the Indians from 
a ereen chocolate nut mixed with fresh 
cheese and covered with slightly boiled juice 
of the sugar-cane. The little Indian village 
of Jaltipan is said to be just as it was when 
Cortez met the beautiful Aztec princess 
there. It was from that village that Cortez 
wrote to Spain describing a new paradise. 
What is attracting a large amount of Ameri- 
can capital is the coffee industry, and here 
the advantages for profitable production are 
unequalled. Seldom are found such depth of 
soil, such evenness of temperature, and such 
abundance of rainfall, combined with cheap 
and quick transportation, as in the new coffee 
districts in this Tehuantepec isthmus. The 
temperature never rises above ninety-two 
degrees and never sinks below sixty. The 
trade-winds from the Pacific sweep across 
the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Madre 
range and are forced through the break at 
Tehuantepec as through a funnel. 

To reach Mexico from New York I have 
found the Pennsylvania road by far the best 
route. The beautiful scenery along the 
Horse-Shoe Curve up among the Alleghanies is a fitting preface for a journey to picturesque 
Mexico. From the Pennsylvania system you make the best connections at St. Louis or Chi- 
cago to reach either of the Mexican borders with fewer changes and more personal comfort. 




Along the Cuernavaca and Pacific Railroad. 



RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS 



427 



At Chicago take the Santa Fe for El Paso, Texas, where you pass the Mexican line at Juarez ; 
at St. Louis the Louisville and Nashville connects at New Orleans with the Southern Pacific for 
Eagle Pass and Ciudad Porfirio Diaz. This latter route I would advise in returning to the 
East in winter from Me.xico, as you gradually get into the colder climate without feeling the 
change. 

To reach Mexico by water, the Ward line offers every desirable facility. It makes weekly 
trips between New York and Progreso, Tampico, and Vera Cruz, and touches every two weeks 
at Tuxpam and Campeche. 

The remarkable growth of postal business led the government to reduce by one-half the 
rates on all inland correspondence from July, 1895 ; but even with that reduction the receipts 




Bl I NA VijTA Station, Mexican Railroad. 

of the postal service of Mexico in 1S95 show an increase of one hundred and twenty-seven 
thousand six hundred and forty dollars over any previous year. 

One of the things which the prosperous administration of President Diaz can point out 
with pride is the wonderful development of the telegraph system of the republic and the excel- 
lent way in which it is managed. Morse's invention reaches every city, town, or place of any 
importance, and it .is operated in an efficient, business-like manner. Few telegraphic services 
in the world are to-day more efficient and well managed in the interest of the public than 
Mexico's federal telegraph. Every office throughout the countr}' runs like clock-work and on 
strict business principles. 

V For the following information on the Mexican telegraph system I am indebted to Mr. J. A. 
Soni, of that department in Mexico City. 



428 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



" To the personal efforts of one of its learned citizens, Senor Don Juan de la Granja, belongs 
the honor of having imported into Mexico the electric telegraph. While serving his country as 
consul-o-eneral to the United States, Senor de la Granja witnessed with keen interest the rapid 
development of Professor Morse's wonderful invention, and he returned home to form a company 
to erect telegraph lines. The government subscribed liberally to the enterprise, and Senor de la 
Granja was soon in possession of the necessary capital to start his labors on a line from the city 
of Mexico toward Vera Cruz. On November 5, 185 i, he reached the little village of Nopalu- 
can, and the line to that place was inaugurated the same day amidst great festivities. Six 
months after, on May 19, 1852, the entire line to the port of Vera Cruz, four hundred and 
ninety kilometres in length, was opened to public services. The laying of telegraph lines to 
Toluca, Guanajuato, and San Luis Potosi soon followed, but always by private enterprise. So 
all the lines remained for years outside government control. 

"But at the downfall of the Emperor Maximilian, in 1867, the owners of the Guanajuato 
and San Luis Potosi lines having taken part in the struggle against the republic, Juarez laid an 

embargo on their lines, and thus rave birth 
to the federal telegraph system, which then 
measured six hundred and seventy kilo- 
metres. The government proceeded then 
to develop the system, and gradually reached 
the principal cities. 

"In 1 876, when General Diaz was elected 
president, Mexico had seven thousand nine 
hundred and twenty-seven kilometres oi-' 
federal and four thousand nine hundred and 
twenty-seven kilometres of private telegraph 
lines with one hundred and thirty-five offices 
in all. At present the federal government's 
system measures forty-five thousand kilo- 
metres in length and serves three hundred 
and forty-two offices ; while there are nu- 
merous telephone lines, measuring thirteen 
thousand kilometres in length, and indepen- 
dent telegraph systems, in every state, be- 
long-inof either to the local governments or to 
private parties. These local systems bind 
together one hundred and sixty-four different 
places and measure in all nineteen thousand 
five hundred and seventy-six kilometres. 
Besides these, there are the telegraph lines 
belonging to the railroad companies, ten 
thousand kilometres in length, and four hundred and twenty- two offices ; making a grand total 
of seventy-four thousand five hundred and seventy-six kilometres of regular telegraph lines and 
nine hundred and twenty-eight offices. 

"The federal lines extend their benefits to all state capitals, all commercial places, and all 
towns on the northern and southern frontiers, as well as to all ports on the Pacific and the 
Gulf of Mexico. As to the local systems, they reach every town in the states to which they 




Barranca near Tres Marias, on the Cuernavaca and Pacific 
Railroad. 



RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS 



429 



belong. 



In fact, it can be said that every place of any importance in Mexico can now be 
reached either by telegraph or telephone. 

"For its international communications Me.xico has four great submarine cables, two of them 
belonging to the Mexican Telegraph Company and the other two to the Central and South 
American Telegraph Company. The cables belonging to the Mexican Telegraph Company are 




Telegraph Office in the Federal District. 

laid in the Gulf of Mexico, one of them from Galveston, Texas, to Coatzacoalcos, and the other 
from Galveston to Tampico, Vera Cruz, and Coatzacoalcos ; those belonging to the Central and 
South American Telegraph Company, from Salina Cruz on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec down 
to Valparaiso in Chile. Thus we may well consider Mexico as the bridge for telegraphic com- 
munications between Europe and the United States and all Central and South American coun- 
tries on the Pacific Ocean." __ 



430 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



CHAPTER XLVIII 

FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS OUTLOOK 

mEXICO is literally a money-making country, as she digs from the bowels of the 
earth a raw product which, when conveniently put into masses of uniform 
weight and appearance and stamped with her trade-mark, becomes the most 
widely circulated and demanded medium of exchange the world has ever known. 
Although the ancient Aztecs do not appear to have had regularly stamped 
coin, their commerce was not exclusively confined to an exchange of commodities. They had 
certain values of different articles which took the place of money, and of which Clavigero 
enumerates five kinds. One of these was the cacao bean, which was counted by xiquipillis, 
or lots of eight thousand, or in sacks of twenty-four thousand each. For articles of common 
daily necessity their usual money was scraps of cotton cloth called patolcuachtli. Expensive 
objects were bought with grains of gold carried in quills, and for cheaper articles copper pieces 
cut in the form of a T were used. 

After the conquest the first mint was established in 1538 in Mexico by Don Antonio de 
Mendoza, the first viceroy. The coinage of colonial times was subdivided into four kinds. 
The first was inoneda maciiqidna, irregular polygonal coin stamped by hand, with a cross, two 
lions, and two columns on one side and the name of the reigning Spanish sovereign on the 
other. These were used from 1538 to 1731. Then there was the vioneda columnaina, or pillar 
coin, used from 1732 to 1771 ; the inoneda de busto, or bust coin, in usage from 1772 to 1821 ; 
and the coinao-e struck during the war of 1821 and 1822. After this war there were two distinct 
categories, — the imperial and the republican. 

The total issue of macuquina coins was seven hundred and sixty million seven hundred and 
sixty-five thousand four hundred and six dollars ; of pillar coins, four hundred and sixty-one 
million five hundred and eighteen thousand two hundred and twenty-five dollars ; of bust 
coins, nine hundred and twenty-nine million two hundred and ninety-eight thousand three hun- 
dred and twenty-seven dollars ; making the total colonial coinage two billion one hundred 
and fifty-one million five hundred and eighty-one thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight dol- 
lars. The total coinage of money in Mexico now amounts to considerably over three billions 
of dollars. 

The monetary unit of Mexico is the peso (piastre) of silver, 902.7 fine and weighing 27.073 
grammes. In all Mexican mints any gold which the silver contains under a certain proportion 
is left in, so that we find the dollars of the states of Guadalajara and Durango to contain two 
per cent, of gold and those of Oaxaca four per cent, of gold. 

Of coins there are the dguila, or eagle, of twenty dollars, and the onza de oro, or gold ounce, 
of sixteen dollars, besides fractional gold pieces. Then there are the peso, the toston, or fifty 
centavos, \h& peseta, corresponding to the American "quarter," and, as further binary divisions, 
the real, medio, and cuartilla. Since the decimal system has been adopted the other small silver 




Organos, the Large Cactus Plant, Oaxaca. 



432 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

pieces have disappeared. In all commercial transactions the dollar is designated by the same 
mark as in the United States. 

The exportation of the Mexican dollar to Oriental countries is a regular commercial opera- 
tion. The demand for this kind of money in London is constant, and has no serious influence on 
its value. While Mexico cannot in one sense be compared as a silver producer with some other 
countries, — as, for instance, with the United States or with Bolivia, — these last export their 
silver in the shape of ingots ; but Mexico sends out hers in the form of a manufactured article, 
— the dollar, — for which there is a market in which no one will dispute with her the supremacy. 

It is very strange that the hold which this Mexican eagle dollar has had in the Orient has 
never been loosened by any rival. In 1772 Spain struck a Spanish pillar dollar, avowedly 
moulded on the Mexican eagle in weight and fineness. At one time it commanded in China 
over eight per cent, premium. In 1887 the Spanish government decided to demonetize it, and 
then received from all parts of the world twenty-two millions of those dollars, for which it paid 
gold, although intrinsically the coin is not worth eighty cents in gold. Hong-Kong had so put 
it upon the market in 1886, and the Chinese government undertook to aid it by receiving it for 
customs duties, but neither merchants nor the Chinese themselves liked it, and, although it was 
a better executed coin than the Mexican dollar, it was quoted at a discount. 

The design on one side of the Mexican coins, representing an eagle resting on a cactus, 
with a snake in its beak, is a picture-story of an Aztec legend that runs thus : In the early part 
of the fourteenth century, while the prowess of the Aztecs was at a low ebb and they wandered 
among the salt marshes and reeds of the valley, a commission came down from heaven to 
Tenoch, one of their chiefs, to the effect that when they should see a cactus growing upon a 
rock, and on the cactus an eagle perched devouring a snake, then and there they should build 
a temple to the god of war, who in turn would ever after guard and protect them, and elevate 
their country to the dignity of a great nation. And it came to pass, one day in the year a.d. 
1325, on the banks of the lake Texcoco they beheld a sight just as prophesied, and Tenoch 
camped on the spot and immediately began the erection of a temple, as commanded, and called 
it Tenochtltlan. On that spot to-day stands the beautiful city of Mexico, and the legend is per- 
petuated in the memory of the people by the illustration on the national currency. 

It is by the establishment of banks that Europe and America can give the country the 
capital necessary for developing her agriculture and industries. The flourishing condition of 
Mexican banks is proverbial. Of the five great ones only the " National Pawn-Shop" has ever 
failed, and that is now in a flourishing condition. 

The Banco de Londres y Mexico, or London and Mexican Bank, was originally established 
in 1864 as a branch of a London bank doing business with South America. Notwithstanding 
the political events of the period, good results were obtained, but were not published separately 
from the general accounts presented at the shareholders' meeting, although the fact w^as recog- 
nized in the report of the directors. When the banking law was decreed by the Mexican govern- 
ment it became necessary to reorganize the bank and domicile in the republic, and, several local 
capitaUsts having expressed the wish to join interests with the bank, a contract for the sale of 
a portion of the holding, to be represented by a separate issue of shares, was entered into and 
approved by the government, and a new law decreed granting the bank valuable privileges. 

The commercial situation may be summed up in these words, — lack of active capital. This 
has always been the case, and even while American and English capital now goes into the 
country, the insufficiency of capital is still manifest. After the war for independence internal 
difficulties, civil war, and two foreign wars prevented the national capital from being put into 



FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS OUTLOOK 



433 



active circulation. Every one, as in the East, hoarded his cash. No one wished to invest, and 
the country veg-etated in a state of uncertainty for the upper classes and complete misery for the 
lower ones. Then, after peace was established, people got used to prosperity in a quiet sort of 
way and did not wish to start anything new. They have not yet got quite over that state of affairs. 

A statement in regard to the amount of business done by and with Me.xico should prove 
highly acceptable in this connection, as should, also, a series of hints and suggestions to busi- 
ness men throughout the world relative to opening or enlarging commercial relations with her 
merchants and people. 

The material and pecuniary progress of Mexico since 1877 cannot be better demonstrated 
than by the figures which show that the producing industries and business ot the countr)- have 
been more than doubled since that date. 
In 1877, when General Porfirio Diaz first 
became the guiding genius and shaped 
the destiny of the republic, the exports 
w^ere twenty-nine million two hundred and 
eighty-five thousand six hundred and fifty- 
nine dollars ; since that time they have 
more than trebled, showing that the admin- 
istrations which have governed the country 
since 1877, and which have followed the 
policy initiated by General Diaz in that 
year, have wonderfully developed the pro- 
ductive industries of the country, and, as 
a natural consequence, the pecuniary in- 
terests of the nation have grown in pro- 
portion to the prosperity of its producing 
industries and business. 

As yet, this great republic, prominent 
as she is in mining- and agriculture, has not 
distinguished herself as a manufacturer, 
finding, heretofore, that it paid better to 
purchase the manufactures of other coun- 
tries and pay for them in her almost limit- 
less productions of the ground. Yet a 
change is coming. The principal manu- 
factures in the country now are, in the 
order of their importance : cotton, nearly 
four million pieces of goods being produced annually, valued at fourteen million dollars ; wool ; 
paper ; earthenware ; metals ; brewing, principally in Monterey and Toluca ; canned fruit is 
being produced from a factory at the port of Todos Santos. 

Iron-foundries are numerous, and, by reason of the excellent quality of the Mexican ore, 
give very good results. However, the more important pieces having been for some time already 
cast, and the demand being limited, the production is confined to car-wheels and to ordinary 
merchant iron. 

There are in Mexico several shops where they make cane-mills, turbine-wheels, etc. Foreign 
establishments, however, compete with these to the disadvantage of the local concerns. 

28 




Husking Coffee. 



434 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



Although acids are so necessary to the mining districts, there are but two manufacturing 
establishments producing them. Sulphuric, hydrochloric, and nitric acids are manufactured at 
great profit, and there is room for many more establishments of the same character. 

The rebozos of Tenancingo and the serapes (a sort of multi-colored wrap) of Saltillo and 
of San Miguel are the best liked. 

At Tepic there is a bleachery with an output of sixty thousand yards weekly, which, in 
conjunction with another establishment at Guadalajara, is aiding the country to take care of 
itself in this line. A factory for making printed goods is also working well, so that before long 
all that part of the coast about San Bias should be supplied with home-made goods. 

The principal wool-manufacturing establishments are three in the Federal District, making 
one hundred and sixty-two thousand pieces of cloth per year; three in the city of Mexico, 
making one hundred and fifty thousand pieces of cloth and carpets ; five in the state of Puebla, 
making five hundred and fifty thousand pounds of wool yearly, serving for serapes, jorongo, 




GROLT (If- TEHl'ANTKrEDUKSAS. 



plaids, etc. ; three in the state of Hidalgo, producing one hundred and twenty-five thousand 
pieces of cloth ; one in the capital city, and several in the state of Guanajuato, the most im- 
portant of which, at Celaya, produces about eighty-five thousand pieces of cassimere and cloth 
and about fifty-five thousand yards of carpet when running, but just now it is shut down. 
There is also one in Ensenada, which produces very fine goods. 

For centuries hammocks have been articles of use and barter in the state of Yucatan, and 
hammock-making is quite a prominent industry in a republic where so many persons are indis- 
posed to physical exertion, and where the great heat renders it desirable to have a cool and easy 
substitute for the ordinary couch. Hammock beams and hooks are found in the buried cities. 

There are several paper-mills, the production of which is important, as it supplies the prin- 
cipal printing establishments for their periodicals and classic works. 

The third great manufacture of the country is pottery, which is carried on everywhere, 
particularly in the states of Guadalajara, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, and Puebla. Each district has 



FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS OUTLOOK 435 

its special designs in shape and color and its distinctive quality of ware. For instance, in 
Guadalajara the usual ware is gray, soft-baked and jDolished, and often quite elaborately deco- 
rated in orold, silver, and brilliant colors ; from Zacatecas comes red, hard-baked, elazed ware, 
rudely decorated with splashes under the glaze ; Guanajuato produces a dark brown or gray 
ware havincr a soft, rich olaze, with ornamentation in low relief ; and in Puebla there is made a 
coarse porcelain with a thick tin glaze. Some parts of the republic produce a curious iridescent 
copper-glazed ware. For table use the usual ware is heavy, in white and blue ; but in the 
Federal District there are two quite extensive factories making fine grades of porcelain. 

There is ample field for the investment of capital in cotton-mills, paper, and other manu- 
factures. Mexican w^ooUens as now made are of superior quality, and thousands of people are 
refusing to buy the more expensive, but no handsomer, English goods. Tailors are supplying 
their growing demand at prices less than one-half of those charged for European textures. 
Mexico is growing more cotton every year, and will soon be able to supply herself without 
bringing in American cotton ; and as the growing and manufacturing are done on the basis of 
cheap labor and silver money, Mexico may well enter the lists as an exporter of cotton goods. 

In this connection it is interesting to know that the first spinning- and weaving-mill in 
Mexico was built in Puebla, and called "La Constancia." Later, in 1835, another mill was 
built there, and called " El Patriotismo" ; and about the same time another was built at Tlalpam, 
in the Valley of Mexico, and called " La Magdalena." In 1842 the first attempt at making print 
cloths was tried in Puebla, but nothing of importance was effected in this line until 1870. Now 
there is no part of the country that has not its cotton-mills of greater or less importance. 

Cotton has for centuries been a staple product in Mexico. Cortez, it is recorded, received 
many presents from the Indians of cotton cloths of native manufacture. Think of it ! cotton 
cloth was actually made in Mexico years before the United States was occupied by white men ! 

It must interest all who propose settling in Mexico or investing there to know the condi- 
tions concerning the acquirement of land, — where it is to be had, of what owners, at what price, 
and under what conditions. 

Among the many sources of revenue from which the government of Mexico may draw 
may be reckoned the public lands. At the time of the declaration of Mexican independence 
the crown rights, which comprised all the territory included within the kingdom at any one 
period and all additions thereto in the way of conquest, reverted to the republic of Mexico. In 
1863, during the presidency of Juarez, there was passed a law which defined very simply the 
baldios lands, or those lands which have not been destined to public uses by the authorities 
legally empowered so to do nor ceded by the same to individuals or corporations having 
the capacity for acquiring them. This law of 1863 enabled any inhabitant of tlie republic, 
except certain foreigners, to claim up to about six thousand two hundred and fifty acres of the 
public lands at the prices fixed by the government tariff and under conditions fixed by the law. 
This law of 1863 was supplemented by the colonization laws of 1875 ^"^^ 1883, authorizing the 
government to grant private parties or companies the right to search for, claim, and survey 
certain public lands within certain zones or districts to be agreed upon, the private party or 
company receiving in recompense one-third of all resultant lands or of their money value at 
tariff rates. 

Within a few years the lands on both sides of the Paseo de la Reforma, from the statue of 
Cuauhtemoc up to Chapultepec, were opened for public purchase at moderate prices. Compe- 
tent engineers were employed in surveying the lots, fixing the boundaries, and so on. The 
active demand for the lots directly fronting on the Paseo induced speedy building up to the very 



436 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



gates of the forest of Chapultepec, and made this one of the finest avenues in the world. In 
Tacubaya lots increased over sixfold in two years. 

A very large proportion of the public land of Mexico is fertile, well watered, and in every 
way desirable. Intending purchasers will do well to buy government lands, as they are cheaper 
than others and no question can arise as to the title. 

A study of the resources of Mexico would not be complete were it to omit the great 
industry of cattle-raising. This business is carried on in all parts of Mexico, — on the plains of 
Chihuahua and Durango, in the Bajion, in all the valleys of Michoacan and Jalisco, and in the 
plains and valleys of the coast. Where rains are insufficient to produce corn crops, as is the 
case in considerable portions of Chihuahua, Durango, and Coahuila, the grass is sufficient for 
grazing and even the fattening of stock. Generally, however, thin stock from the northern 
portions of the republic is fattened on the haciendas in the southern and central portions. Of 
late years the business of cattle-raising has grown in the states of San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, 
and Vera Cruz, and, though yet in its infancy, is still very important. 

Not only is the country well fitted by its climate for the cattle industry, but, with its large 
unoccupied territories well supplied with running streams and its abundant yield of corn, it 
would be difficult to find another country so well adapted to compete for the trade of Europe 
as is Mexico. 

In short, in a country with such a healthy climate, such good breeding facilities, such excel- 
lent harbor accommodations and good railroad services, the day cannot be far distant when the 
cattle industry of Mexico will have attained enormous proportions. 



MEXICO AS A WHOLE 437 



CHAPTER XLIX 

MEXICO AS A WHOLE 

mEXICO is preeminently the land of mystery of the Western world. It contains 
abundant traces of a civilization far older than any other on this continent, 
and, now that a key to the Maya inscriptions has been found, it is reasonable 
to expect that systematic exploration will result in reconstructing, at least 
partially, the history of the vanished race, and throw some light on the inter- 
esting question of its antiquity as well as of its origin, and with it give us some knowledge of 
what is now the prehistoric period of North America. 

It is scarcely possible to overestimate the importance of the movement now on foot in 
Mexico to have the archaeological treasures of that country properly explored. A bill has been 
passed by the Mexican congress to empower American scientists to make archaeological excava- 
tions in that country, provided the objects found be divided equally between the two countries. 
This is a liberal proposition, and will, doubtless, be accepted readily by scientific explorers 
everywhere. 

Among the features of which Mexico can boast are the richest and most productive silver- 
mines in the world ; the cradle of civiHzation on this continent ; the ruins and romance of historic 
and prehistoric America ; the Cholula pyramid, — the Tower of Babel of Indian tradition ; the 
spot where the first known European set foot on this continent, to which he ga\'e his name, — 
the place, the coast near Tampico, the man, Americas Vespucci ; the largest meteorite in the 
world ; the statue of Charles VI. on the Paseo in the city of Mexico, the first and, according to 
some authorities, the largest bronze ever cast in America, and, accordingr to Humboldt, the finest 
equestrian statue in the world next to that of Marcus Aurelius at Rome ; the stoutest tree on 
the continent and perhaps in the world, at Tula, one hiuidred and fifty-four feet two inches in cir- 
cumference six feet from the ground ; Popocatepetl, according to the latest figures, the highest 
mountain on the continent ; the largest American church building, in the Mexican cathedral, and 
the most beautiful, in that of Puebla ; the first pulpit and the first church structure in the New 
World, at Tlaxcala ; and the laro-est bell in America, and one of the largest in the world, in the 
Mexican cathedral. This bell is said to be nineteen feet high. The "monarch of bells" in the 
Kremlin at Moscow is twenty feet high and weighs four hundred and forty-four thousand pounds, 
but it is cracked and useless, while Mexico's bell is sound and serviceable. 

In historic associations and relics of the past there is the same diversity. There are 
reminders of Diaz, of Juarez and Maximilian, of General Scott and Santa Anna, of Spanish 
viceroys and Hidalgo, of Cortez and Montezuma, and of the unknown builders of pyramids 
and palaces that antedate the beginnings of recorded history in America. Among its natural 
attractions are semi-tropical Orizaba, only eighty miles from the Gulf of Mexico, with its Swiss 
mountains, mountain-torrents, and picturesque buildings, its Javanese coffee, palms and bananas ; 



438 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



attractive and picturesque Guadalajara, on the Pacific slope, with its lake, its waterfall, the 
Niagara of Mexico, and its canon that boasts of the temperate zone at its top and the torrid 
zone at its bottom ; and to the southward Oaxaca and the famous ruins of Mitla. 

Mexico is more foreign in appearance than nine-tenths of Europe. Her twelve millions of 
natives are either pure Indian, direct and unadulterated descendants of the Aztecs and other 

Indian tribes, or mixed Indian and Spanish, 
or (much the smallest class) pure Spanish. 
Four-fifths of the people have some In- 
dian blood, two-fifths are pure Indian, 
and about one-third can neither speak nor 
understand Spanish, and use their original 
dialects. In the outward appearance of 
the men, women, and children and in 
their habitations, costumes, and habits it 
suofSfests in its different sections and 
among its varied peoples now Europe in 
Moorish Spain, now Asia in Palestine, 
now Africa in Egypt. 

In some Mexican homes there are 
reminders, in architectural effects and in 
stucco-work, in horseshoe arches and 
graceful columns, of the Moorish influ- 
ence upon the Spaniards during the period 
of Moorish occupation of Spain, while one 
always finds in its Indian dark-skinned 
people reminders of the African and 
Asiatic. In the small villages and coun- 
try sections where the millions of Indians 
dwell Oriental scenes are plentiful. The 
dark-skinned men, with bright eyes and 
white teeth, dressed first in white cotton 
and then draped in a serape, — a shawl by 
day and a blanket by night, — are distinc- 
tively Oriental, and the effect is only heightened by the immense sombreros upon their heads or 
the sandals upon their feet. 

The Mexican horseman is even more dashing and picturesque than his Old-World counter- 
part. As in Spain, the city's heart is often a plaza, with a stand for band-music, the cathedral 
facing the plaza on one side and the palace or government building on the other. 

All classes of people are polite and charitable to one another, and are wonderfully kind and 
gentle in manner. The women are beautiful when very young, but age rapidly. There are 
picturesque scenes along the streets of the town Saturday nights, when the men sit in groups 
playing cards and various games and all classes are apparently happy. 

In some parts of the country the method of doing the family wash is as primitive as pictu- 
resque, and would make a pretty picture if caught by a snap-shot kodak. The women stand 
along the river banks, just as they do in parts of Brittany and Holland, and dip the clothes in 
and out of the running stream, while their children and babies roll and frolic about in sand or 




Carrying Pulque. 



MEXICO AS A WHOLE 



439 



perch upon the stones, their melting dark eyes and shps of bright color making a theme for the 
brush of Millet. The women of the working class spend much of their time sewing. There 
are many sewing-machines, upon which the native girls do good work. These women also 
make the wooden jar, oUa, used for holding water. The olla is porous, and will keep water 
agreeably cold for a length of time. The women dress generally in a calico skirt and sash of 
some bright color, and a rebozo. The latter is composed of a long blue shawl with fringed 
ends wound about the head and shoulders. A black shawl instead of the blue rebozo is con- 
sidered more elegant and distinguished. Bonnets and hats are worn by the upper classes, of 
course, but only since the advent of the railroad, which has at last penetrated the upper portions 




A Field of Maguey Plants. 

of the country. The women, often in gay colors and draped in the rebozo, which half conceals 
the face, suggest Asia or Africa rather than America or Europe. 

Mr. Theodore W. Noyes, a Washington (D.C.) editor, and a very close observer, says, 
"The Egyptian shaduf finds its counterpart in the well-sweep of Irapuato, where strawberries 
are grown and sold every day in the year, and where irrigation is resorted to, as in Egypt, 
systematically and on a large scale. In the absence of trees and rocks the Egyptian shaduf is 
small, is composed of prepared timbers, and the counterpoise to the well-bucket is an immense 
hunk of dried, hardened Nile mud. The Mexican shaduf generally utilizes a forked tree, and 
swings across it a long, tapering trunk or branch, and the counterpoise consists of a large single 
stone or a mass of stones fastened together. Though Mexico stretches farther south than 
Egypt, the two countries lie, speaking generally, between the same parallels of latitude ; but 
the altitude of Irapuato is over five thousand feet above the sea-level or the level of the Nile, 



440 



PICTURESQUE MEXICO 



so that the same degree of undress is not expected or found in the Mexican as in the Egyptian 
shaduf-worker. I saw, however, in the neighborhood of Irapuato, two Indians as well-sweeps 
workino- side by side, who were dressed only in white cotton loin-cloths, and who looked like 
the twin brothers of shaduf-workers whom I have seen and photographed on the Nile." 

And ao-ain he says, "The Mexican woman, with her baby at her back securely fastened in 
the rebozo, which throws the infant's weight on the mother's shoulders, is to be compared with 
the Eo-yptian woman, whose ' rebozo" covers her face while the child straddles her shoulders, 




Drawing Pulque, in Tlachiquero. 

holdinor to her head and leaving her hands as unfettered as in the Mexican fashion. There are 
no Egyptian camels, but even more numerous donkeys, the patient burros. The Indian villages, 
whether of adobe or of bamboo, with thatched roofs and organ cactus fences, and whether alive 
Avith goats, donkeys, or snarling curs, are African in effect. There are Aztec picture-writings 
resembling the Egyptian, the paper being made from the maguey instead of papyrus. The 
Aztecs employed captives on great public works, as in Egypt. Mexico thus has pyramids, much 
broader based than those of Egypt, though not so high, and idols quite as ugly. Gold orna- 
ments, beads, masks, and other highly prized antiquities are found on the tombs, as in Egypt." 



GENERAL SUGGESTIONS 441 



CHAPTER L 

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS 

/^^^fc^O enable readers of these pages to best open and most profitably maintain social 

m I and business relations with Mexico and her people, some appropriate hints may 

^kj y not here prove amiss. Those here given have the advantage of having been 

^^H^ inspired during actual residence and of being the result of wide travel and close 

observation. 

It is remarkable how little not only Europeans but Americans know concerning Mexico. 
A great many know that there is such a country as Mexico, and that is about all. It is not 
long since that a very successful business man in the United States, on being told that the city 
of Mexico had a population of over three hundred thousand, expressed himself as incredulous 
on this point, saying he had always had the impression that it was not over twenty-five thousand. 

Those who are seeking the trade of people speaking a different language from their own 
should accommodate themselves to the language spoken by the expected customers. This is 
the law of trade. English-speaking people who desire the trade of Spanish-speaking countries 
should pocket their pride or any theories which they may have as regards the genius or \'alue 
of their mother-tongue as compared with any other. A knowledge of Spanish greatly aids one 
in opening out business with Mexico, whether he goes there or remains at home and transacts 
his business by correspondents, although English is spoken very generally throughout Mexico. 

It is pleasant to note that in American towns which have commenced to have large business 
with Mexico Spanish classes have become quite popular among business men. 

It may be interesting to all non-Mexicans to know what the laws are as to who are 
Mexicans and who are considered foreigners. 

Those are considered Mexicans who are born in the national territory and of fathers who are 
Mexicans by birth or naturalization ; those born in the national territory of a Mexican mother 
and of a father who may not be legally recognized as a Mexican, and those who are born of 
parents who are unknown or of unknown nationality ; and those born outside of the republic of 
a Mexican father who has not lost his nationality. Should he ha\'e lost his nationality the sons 
shall be considered as foreigners, but shall have the rieht to declare their intention of consider- 
ing themselves Mexican within a year following their twenty-first birthday. Those born outside 
of the republic of a Mexican mother have this privilege, supposing she has not lost her nation- 
ality. If the mother shall not have been naturalized her sons will be foreigners, but will have 
the rieht to declare themselves Mexicans as in the case before mentioned. A foreign woman 
who marries a Mexican is considered a Mexican, even during her widowhood. Those born 
outside of the republic but who resided there in 182 1 and swore to the Act of Independence 
are also residents if they have not changed their nationality. Those Mexicans who lived in the 
territory ceded to the United States and have fulfilled the required conditions to keep their 



442 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

nationality are also Mexicans. In a similar way are those in territory ceded to Guatemala. 
Those foreigners who were naturalized according to the present law ; those who acquire real 
estate in the republic, provided they do not declare their intentions to preserve their original 
nationality ; foreigners who have children born in Mexico, provided they do not prefer to pre- 
serve their original nationality ; and all foreigners who serve the Mexican government officially, 
or who accept from it titles for public offices, are citizens of Mexico. 

Those are considered foreigners who are born outside of the national territory and are 
subject to foreign governments and have not been naturalized in Mexico ; the sons of a foreign 
father or of a foreign mother born in the national territory, and who have not declared their 
intentions ; those absent from the republic without license from the government, on account of 
studies, of public interest, of commerce or industries, or the practice of a profession, who let 
ten years go by without asking permission to extend their absence. Mexican women who 
marry foreigners retain their character as citizens even during widowhood ; Mexicans who are 
naturalized in other countries, or who officially serve foreign governments without license of 
the Mexican Congress ; those who accept foreign decorations, titles, or offices other than liter- 
ary, scientific, or humanitarian without permission from Congress are classed as foreigners. 
Every foreigner can be naturalized who complies with the requirements of this law. 

It surprises those who visit Mexico to find that almost everywhere the methods of cultiva- 
tion are the same as those employed by the ancient Egyptians. A Mexican plough has a 
wooden beam and a small iron shoe which scratches a furrow about five inches broad and the 
same depth. Its work is supplemented by a three- to five-pound hoe, and there is a saw-tooth 
sickle. The plough is practically nothing but a forked stick, the shorter fork being iron-shod 
and the longer one lashed with raw-hide thongs to the yoke of the oxen that draw it. With 
such primitive appliances it need surprise no one to learn that it takes about four men and 
four yoke of oxen to do the work that is done by one man and one horse in the United 
States. 

The difference between the present Mexican way of ploughing and that prevailing in this 
country is even less marked than that between the two methods of threshing. There are few 
districts in which the grain is not threshed by simply driving horses or mules around in a ring 
into which the sheaves are tossed. As to winnowing, that is done by tossing the grain and 
chaff into the air with scoop shovels. 

In the matter of local transportation of grains, there are employed on the farms ponderous 
two-wheeled carts, with three pounds of dead load for every pound of merchandise hauled. 

The Indian population, taking into account the greater activity of which it is susceptible, 
and which will be the natural consequence of the increase of wages and of the demands which 
the development of civilization brings about, and also the economical transformations introduced 
by improved methods of tillage, can furnish sufficient working force to develop double the 
amount of lands and manufactories already worked. 

The cultivation of tropical plants will certainly give considerable profit. The branches of 
cultivation in which peasants are past-masters — the culture of the vine, the olive, the mulberry, 
and the cereals — are also very lucrative. 

In general it may be said that the cost of living in Mexico is low. In the interior towns 
and villages the necessaries of life are cheap, although coffee and tea are dear. The latter is 
seldom used or even seen in the interior. Butter is very expensive, and but little used. The 
food is rich and highly seasoned. 

Rents are high, not because the landlords are rapacious, but because house-building is 



GENERAL SUGGESTIONS 443 

expensive, by reason of the annual tax of twelve per cent, on the rental of houses, in addition to 
the necessary defrayal of pavement, drainage, water, and stamp taxes by the owners of the 
property. 

During the Spanish dominion the government of New Spain, as Mexico was then called, 
was systematically hostile to strangers, and after the independence the country was very much 
busier with civil war than in appealing for immigrants. It may be said that the period for immi- 
gration into Mexico is only now commencing, and if we consider that peace reigns in the country 
so completely that it seems to be permanent, every one will agree that there are very few coun- 
tries which present to the immigrant the advantages which will be found in Mexico. No other 
country in the world offers to every comer one hundred acres of land absolutely free. Gi\en 
the conditions of climate and fertility of soil which have been shown in these pages and the 
immense mineral wealth of which it has been impossible to give here more than an imperfect 
account, there only remains to address a few words of advice to those who may be tempted to 
partake of a part of Mexico's wealth. 

It may be said first to the intending colonist or immigrant, if you have no money and only 
strong arms and good habits, do not come to Mexico, for you will find as rivals several millions 
of Indian workers, also with good habits, who have arms sufficient to work the farms there, and 
who will content themselves with salaries which would render you more miserable in Mexico 
than you would be in any other country. 

In Mexico the torrid and frigid zones are in close proximity, and within a few hours of each 
other changes that represent thousands of miles north and south are encountered. Rice-fields 
and plains where thousands of cattle graze are near neighbors. 

One of the greatest advantages, and one that will serve to advance its material develop- 
ment, is that labor troubles are unknown. Such a thing as a strike or confusion among laborers 
is never dreamed of. The best of labor is always available at a very low figure. Peon labor, 
w^hich can be trained to accomplish very skilful work, can always be secured at from thirty-seven 
and one-half to seventy-five cents per day in Mexican silver. All labor and supplies are paid 
for in this metal, which is not at a discount in the country. This fact, taken in connection with 
the additional fact that all exports can be sold on a gold basis, gives still further advantage in 
the way of a successful and profitable investment of capital. There is hardl)' any section of 
the country that is not easily accessible to the principal trade centres. All towns not having 
easy water connection are within easy access of the railroad. 

The old idea that the Mexican people can never be induced to change from the customs of 
their ancestors is fast losing its grasp. The people are finding out that there is more money to 
be made for themselves by the adoption of progressive customs ; that the credit of their institu- 
tions can be greatly enhanced by the same ; and that the civilizing influence of the American 
people can be made of great benefit to them and those who are to come after them. And the 
railway, while undertaken as an investment enterprise, is really bringing into the country a 
splendid revolution in the condition of affairs which no one can thoroughly appreciate who has 
not studied this system and the opportunities that it has opened up. 

The various climates of the country resemble one another very much in some ways. There 
are no sudden changes, no extremes of heat or cold, no heavy prolonged storms, but a temper- 
ature between summer and winter. 

It is a most erroneous opinion that health is more precarious and disease more virulent in 
Mexico than in the north. This idea is without the least basis in fact. Foreigners in Mexico 
who conform to the conditions of the country are as healthy as they would be at home. There 



444 PICTURESQUE MEXICO 

are thousands of families in the United States who would gladly settle in Mexico if they 
but possessed definite and reliable information about this republic, — if they only knew that 
there is no excessive cold, that on the same lands a thousand different kinds of produce can be 
raised. 

A careful study of the business conditions and opportunities of the republic of Mexico 
develops two facts, — viz., that the resources of the country are almost illimitable and that the 
application of proper business methods will bring results that are most satisfactory. Mexico is, 
in short, the coming country. 

Reciprocity, said Confucius, is the one word which sums up the whole moral life and coins 
moral sentiment into current exchange. In its modern commercial sense it indicates the line of 
moral action between nations ; the line of reciprocal exchange or trade between two republics, 
like Mexico and the United States. 

Blaine's watchword of the times — " reciprocity" — should be exemplified in Mexico. The 
United States is the elder brother among American republics, but Mexico is the closest and 
nearest of sisters, and in many ways their interests are identical. 

Of little value to Mexico is the temporary presence of traders from across the Atlantic 
compared with the more permanent presence of thousands of Americans in that neighborly 
spirit which establishes personal relations. The trader from the older countries of the East 
comes to make what money he can and return with it. The American seeks out places for loca- 
tion, invites friends to visit him, who enter with zest into the opening up of the resources of the 
country, all of which helps on the desired interchange of ideas and experiences between the 
neighboring republics and cements their natural relationship. Mexico is in need to-day of many 
of the things which the people of the United States have already wrested from the hand of 
nature, while the restless spirit of the American is equally in need of the sphere of mental 
activity which many of the partially developed resources of Mexico offer. 

How can this neighborly fellowship be brought about ? Simply by greater knowledge of 
the resources and advantages of each republic. Knowledge must be distributed, facts must be 
made known, a mutual interest between the republics must be created, and then the harvest of 
mutual advantage will come. 

The United States and Mexico mutually assisting in each other's development might 
become well-nigh independent of the rest of the world. They can produce anything that can 
be produced on the globe. All they need is to know each other better and then to work 
together according to the dictates of that knowledge. And this comprises the moral relations 
of nations. 

Silver is adding to the permanent wealth of Mexico, because it pays for labor which is 
transmuted, under intelligent direction, into things that will outlast the currency question, which 
must some day be settled. 

Mexico is on a silver basis, with the shield of the government's protection thrown impartially 
over all enterprises. A spirit of mutual co-operation between the people and the railways 
exists, and out of the fall in silver a great benefit has come to Mexico. As out of apparent 
evil good has come, Mexico will probably continue to stick to the efficient silver dollar which 
has served her so well. To-day the republic of Mexico is, without doubt, attracting more atten- 
tion than any other country on the globe. 

The explanation of the great interest shown in this land of the Montezumas can easily be 
made. The wealth of her resources is beyond the comprehension of the human mind ; the 
climate is the finest under the sun. President Porfirio Diaz and his loyal cabinet, who so ably 



GENERAL SUGGESTIONS 



445 



manage the general government, together with a judiciary among the most scholarly anywhere 
on the continent, with governors and other officers loyal to their countr)', make Mexico the 
most stable and law-abiding republic under the sun. 

When the first international railway was projected, alarm and apprehension were felt 
throughout the country. It was thought that the Americans were about to penetrate into the 
country through that opening, into which Uncle Sam would insert the thin end of the wedge 
that was to split Mexico from top to bottom. But a i&w years ha\'e prox'ed the contrary, and 
shown that Mexico is strono- enough to stand alone. 

o o 

There is a deep prejudice among the better class of Mexicans against the average Ameri- 
can who settles in Mexico. In this connection it is well to state that some of the Americans 
who are most prominent in Mexico by no means represent the best class of citizens in the 
United States. Many of them are there for the sole purpose of making money, and are lacking 
in the good manners and solid, fine qualities of the best people in the United States. 

It is hardly fair, however, though it may be natural, for intelligent Mexicans to judge of 
the refinement, culture, and honest purpose of the average American citizen by the emigrants 
from Northern cities whom they too often see. 

The predictions of Humboldt and Stevenson will soon be realized, and Mexico will become 
a great and powerful nation, the bulwark of Latin America against aggression from the north. 
Mexico, freed from the curse of recurring revolutions, her people devoted to the arts of peace, 
must inevitably maintain her sovereignty and fulfil her destiny as a nation of the first rank. 




\^ 



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in 



the 



The Most Famous 
Health and Pleasure Resorts "^^-V/ 
West Indies and Gulf of Mexico. 




The steamers of the New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Co. (Ward Line) leave 
New York for Nassau, Santiago, and Cienfuegos every other Thursday ; for Havana and 
Mexican ports every Wednesday and Saturday. 



NASSAU 



is reached in' 70 hours. It is the sanitarium of the Western Hemisphere, with an equable 
winter climate of 70° to 78°, and a variation of not over 5° in 24 hours. Malaria, rheurrtatism, 
kidney, and lung troubles speedily benefited and often cured. The Royal Victoria Hotel 
is most comfortable and well kept by an American. The physicians of Nassau are well 
known for their ability. 



HAVANA 



is the Paris of the Tropics. The Cuban winter is genial and the nights cool. The most 
delicate invahd who can travel at all will find Cuba restful and beneficial in that season 
of the year. 



MKXICO 



offers with the least discomfort a variety of climate that should please tourist or invalid. 
There is much to interest and learn within the borders of our sister republic. 

The steamers are new, full-powered steamships, that offer all the luxury and safety 



of modern sea-going travel. 



For full information, beautifully-illustrated pamphlets, maps, climatic table 

on application), apply to 




JAMES a WARD 
& CO,, 

US Wall Street, New York. 




HOTEL DEL JARDIN . . . puebla,^mexico. 

AMERICAN PLAN. ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND SPANISH SPOKEN. 
HEADQUARTERS FOR TOURISTS. 

EVARISTO ENRIQUEZ, Proprietor. 



TO THE PACIFIC COAST OR MEXICO 

....BY WAY OF THE 
SUNSET ROUTE.... 

THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY. 

¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ 

A A T^^^ tourists about to visit TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, 
V V tlie PACIFIC COAST, or the wonderland of MEXICO, 
invariably buy their tickets via the SOUTHERN PACIFIC, 
which, in addition to its regular service of through buffet sleeping cars to 
SAN FRANCISCO and the CITY OF MEXICO, runs each THURSDAY ■ 
and MONDAY during the season the sumptuous 

"SUNSET LIMITED," 



a solidly vestibuled, Pintsch-lighted, steam-heated train of Pullman cars, 
supplied with every luxury and comfort and some novel features 
which make them the acme of modern travel. A ladies' parlor, equipped 
with every device to enhance comfort, state-rooms capable of occupancy 
singly or en S2iite, gentlemen's smoking-room, barber shop, bath-room, 
buffet dinino- car, where meals are served a la carte, and a maid to look 
after the comfort of lady travellers. These, with fast time and perfect 
service, are some of the features of the ''SUNSET LIMITED." 

Tourists bound for MEXICO go via SPOFFORD JUNCTION and 

EAGLE PASS. 

For descriptive literature, time-tables, or any information, furnished 

free of charge, apply to 

EDWIN HAWLEY, A. G. T. M., L. H. NUTTING, E. P. A., L. J. SPENCE, E. F. A., 

349 Broadway, or No. i Battery Place (Washington Building), New York. 

S. F. B. MORSE, G. P. & T. A., T. H. GOODMAN, G. P. & T. A., 

New Orleans, La. San Francisco, Cal. 

C. K. DUNLAP, G. F. & P. A., 

Ciudad Porfirio Diaz, Mexico. 

ToRREON, Mexico, Joe Wright, Travelling Agent. Liverpool, England, 25 Water Street. 

DuRANGO, Mexico, A. Gregory, Commercial Agent. London England, ^■'^^ Leadenhall Street. 
City of Mexico, A. L. Roby, Commercial Agent. ' ' ' J 18 Cockspur Street. 

Monterey, Mexico, H. N. Gibson, Commercial Agent. Rotterdam, 7 Bierhaven. 
San Antonio, Texas, J. McMillan, Commercial Agent. Antwerp, i Rue au Sucre. 

Hamburg, Germany, 6-8 Kaiisburg. 

RUD. FALCK, General European Agent. 



BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS 



SINGLE EXPANSION AND COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVES. 



Established ISSl 




BROAD AND NARROW GAUGE LOCOMOTIVES. 
STEAM CARS AND TRAMWAY LOCOMOTIVES. 



MINE AND FURNACE LOCOMOTIVES. 
COMPRESSED AIR LOCOMOTIVES. 



PLANTATION LOCOMOTIVES. 
OIL-BURNING LOCOMOTIVES. 



Adapted to every variety of service, and built accurately to gauges and templates after standard designs or 
to railroad companies' drawings. Like parts of different engines of same class perfectly interchangeable. 

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES AND ELECTRIC CAR TRUCKS WITH APPROVED MOTORS. 

BURNHAM, WILLIAMS & CO., Rhiladelphia, Ra., U.S.A. 

Q. AND O. BRANIFF & CO., Agents, City of Mexico. 



THE HOFFMAN HOUSE. 



The Hoffman House fronts on Broadway and 

Madison Square, enjoying the most delig-htftil 

== and important location in this city, in midst of 

the great shopping and amusement district. The management feel that they can e.vtend to ladies and families many 

conveniences and comforts not found elsewhere, and that in all its numerous appointments it will compare favorably with 

any hotel in the world. 

Special attention is called to the entire plumbing system, 
newly constructed according to the latest sanitary requirements. 
Electric lights are used exclusively. 

Telephones for convenience of guests connect the main hotel 
office with every hallway throughout the hotel. Turkish and 
Russian baths also on the premises. 



THE MOST CENTRAL LOCATION. 










...i&Si' ' -^^M^TNiTfflTyirr— j 




The New Rapid Transit Cable Lines pass the hotel, run 
the entire length of Broadway from the Battery to Central Park, 
passing the fashionable stores, theatres, and principal attractions 
of the city. 

All Cross-Town Cars Transfer at Broadway with the 
Cable Lines, taking guests direct to the hotel from every ferry, 
steamer dock, or station. 

Passengers Arriving at Grand Central Depot may 
take the Fourth Avenue Surface Cars to Twenty-third Street, and be transferred to Twenty-third Street and Broadway, one 
block from hotel. 

Passengers Arriving by any of the Ferries, Foreign or Coastwise Steamers, can take any Cross-Town Car, 
or walk to Broadway and take Cable Car direct to the hotel, or via the Sixth Avenue Elevated, stopping at Twenty-third 
Street Station. 

The Hoffman House is conducted on the European Plan. J. P. CADDAGAN, Manager. 



THE OLD RELIABLE 

Louisville and Nashville Railroad 

FORMS AN IMPORTANT LINK IN THE ROUTE 

FROM UNITED STATES 

TO OLD MEXICO. 

This line is perfectly equipped with latest improved patterns of 

• • • PULLMAN VESTIBULED SLEEPING CARS • • • 



RUNNING FROM 



NEW YORK, N. Y., PHILADELPHIA, PA., BALTIMORE, MD., WASHINGTON, D.C., 

JACKSONVILLE, FLA., CINCINNATI, O., CHICAGO, ILL, 

AND LOUISVILLE, KY., 

TO NEW ORLEANS, LA., 

WITHOUT CHANGE. 

. . , The Gateway to Old Mexico and California . : . 

***** 

Reduced rates for round trip in effect at all times. Write for information to 

C. p. ATMORE, Gen'I Pass. Agent, Louisville, Ky. 



PANAMA RAILROAD CO. 

The International Highway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 

LINES OPERATED: 



PANAMA 

RAILROAD. 

47 Miles. 

Colon to Panama 



Passengers are transferred 
across the Isthmus 

BY DAYLIGHT 

and are thus given an oppor- 
tunity to see the beauties of 
a tropical country. 




PANAMA 

RAILROAD 

STEAMSHIP LINE. 

J975 Miles, 

¥ 

New York and Colon 



The West India Islands 
passed are 

WATLINGS, BIRD ROCK, 

FORTUNE ISLAND, 

CASTLE ISLAND, CUBA, 

HAYTI, AND NAVASSA. 



FROM NKW YORK- 



Miles. TO 

19S0 . . COLON Rep. of Colombia. 

2027 . . PANAMA 

2372. .BUENAVENTURA. . 

2539 . . TUMACO 

2631. . ESMERALDAS Ecuador. 

2789 . . BAHIA 

2790 . . MANTA 

2800 . . BALLENITA 

28G2 . . GUAYAQUIL 

3072 . . PAYTA Peru. 

3154 . . ETEN •■ 

3268 . . PACASMAYO " 

3379 . . SALAVERRY . " 

3590 . . CALLAO " 

36.50 . TaMBO DE MORA " 

3707 . . PISCO . " 

3898 . . CHALA " 



Miles. TO 

39.50 . . MOLLENDO Peru. 

4106 . . ILO ■' 

4183. .ARICA Chili. 

4253 . . PISAGUA •• 

4289 . . IQUIQUE " 

4433 . . COBIJA " 

4440 . . ANTOFAGASTA " 

4613 . . TALTAL " 

4678 . . CHANARAL " 

4711 . . CALDERA " 

4805 . . HUASCO " 

4840 . . CARIZAL BAJO " 

4903 . . COQUIMBO " 

5098. .VALPARAISO " 

2476 . . PUNTA ARENAS Costa Rica. 

2632 . . SAN JUAN DEL SUR . . Nicaragua. 

2738 . . CORINTO 



Miles. TO 

2801 . . AMAPALA Honduras. 

2822 . . LA UNION San Salvador. 

2926 . . LA LIBERTAD 

2964. . ACAJUTLA 

3024. . SAN JOSE DE GUATEMALA. Guatemala. 

3100 . . CHAMPERICO 

3120 . . OCOS 

3143 . . SAN BENITO Mexico. 

3245 . . TONALA " 

3325 . . SALINA CRUZ " 

MOO . . PORT ANGEL " 

3613 . . AC.APULCO " 

3764 . . MANZANILLO 

3930 . . SAN BLAS " 

40.55 . . MAZATLAN " 

.54.50 . . SAN FRANCISCO California. 



Connections.— At Panama : Pacific Mail Steamship Co. for all Pacific Ocean ports of Central America and Mexico, and San 
Francisco, California; and via San Francisco to Japan, China, Sandwich Islands, New Zealand, and Australia. Also Pacific Steam Navi- 
gation Company and Cia. Sud-Americana de Vapores for all West Coast ports of South America. 



TIME NEW YORK TO 



COLON 
PANAMA 



SEVEN DAYS. 



The Panama Railroad Steamship Line's Steamers " Finance/' '' Allianca," and " Advance," 

having superior passenger and freight accommodations, sail from Pier 57, North River, foot Of West 27th Street, New 

York, on the loth, 20th, and 30th of each month, at 12.00 o'clock noon. 



GENERAL OFFICES— No. 29 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 



J. EDWARD SIMMONS, President. 

GEO. WHALEY, Vice-Prest. & Qen. Manager. 



E. A. DRAKE, Secretary. 
S. DEMINQ, Treasurer. 



JOHN MUIR, Traffic Manager. 
J. R. SHALER, Superintendent. 



C. C. VAN RIPER, Ticket Agent, 

A. E, PATTERSON, Contracting Agent, 

J. L. NUTTER, Contracting Agent, 



29 Broadway, New York. 



F. O. HOUGHTON & CO., Passenger Agents, 115 State St., Boston. 
W. W. CALDWELL, Travelling Agent, New York. 

JAMES HOGAN, Ticket Agent, 339 Cliestnut St., Pliiladelphia, Pa. 



^> 



Frisco liNE 




THROUGH CAR LINE 

BETWEEN 

STLOUISandTEXAS 



Citizens of the Mexican Republic 

Whom business or pleasure may call to the United States, and especially those who wish to visit 
the city of St. Louis, should understand that the 

* FRISCO LINE * 



Is the best line on the route they should travel. Pullman Palace Sleeping Cars run directly from 
San Antonio, Texas, to St. Louis, Missouri, without change, via 

The Southern Pacific Company, from San Antonio to Flatonia, 
The San Antonio and Aransas Passenger Railway, from Flatonia to Cameron, 
The Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railway, from Cameron to Paris, and 
The St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, from Paris to St. Louis. 

The trip to St. Louis from the City of Mexico by this route involves but one change of sleeping 
cars, which is in the Union Station in San Antonio. 

THIS MAGNIFICENT ROUTE 

Is direct and continuous, elegantly equipped, and passes through beautiful scenery and the richest 
portions of the Northern Republic. 



THIS IS THE 


TIME-CARD OF 


DAILY TRAINS. 


North-Bound. 
Read Down. 


STATIONS. 


South-Bound. 
Read Up. 


(.40 P.M. 
7.40 A.M. 
11.11 A.M. 
4.20 P.M. 
9.15 P.M. 
7.25 A.M. 


Leave . . 
Arrive . , 
Arrive . . 
Arrive . . 
Arrive . 
Arrive . . 


. SAN ANTONIO 
. DALLAS . . . 
. PARIS .... 
. FORT SMITH 
.MONETT . . . 
. ST. LOUIS . . 


. . . Arrive 
. . . Arrive 
. . . Arrive 
. . . Arrive 
. . . Arrive 
. . . Leave 


8.45 A.M. 
,S..35 P.M. 
5.00 P.M. 
11.37 A.M. 
7.00 A.M. 
8.20 P.M. 



Call on your own Ticket Agent, or address any of the following railroad officials for further information as to rates, etc. 

L. J. PARKS, E. J. MARTIN, W. S. KEENAN, GEO. T. NICHOLSON, 

G. P. A. SO. PAC. CO., G. P. A. S. A. & A. P. RY., 0. P. A. G. C. & S. F. RY., G. P. A. ST. L. & S. F. R. R., 

HOUSTON, TEX. SAN ANTONIO, TEX. GALVESTON, TEX. ST. LOUIS, MO. 




Southern RAIL^VAY. 




THE GREAT TRUNK LINE 

BETWEEN 

NEW YORK AND MEXICO, 

VIA 

A^^ASHINGTON AND NEV^ ORLEANS, 

OPERATING DOUBLE DAILY SERVICE. 



The Washington and Southwestern Vestibuled Limited, between 

New York and New Orleans, composed of First-class 

Coaches, Dining, and Sleeping Cars, 

ALSO, 

The United States Fast Mail, carrying Pullman latest Drawing- Room 
Sleeping Cars, between New York and New Orleans, 

CONNECTING AT NEW ORLEANS WITH THE SOUTHERN 
PACIFIC TO AND FROM MEXICO. 



3 See that your ticket reads via Southern Railway via Wash- 
ington, Danville, and Atlanta, 



THE ONLY LINE OPERATING DINING CAR SEKVICE BETWEEN 
NEW YORK AND NEW ORLEANS. 



New York Office ....... 27J Bfoadway. 

New Orleans Office ...... 704 Common Street. 

J. M. CULP, Traffic Manager. W. A. TURK, Genl. Pass. Agent. 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 



J. B. LippiNCOTT Company, ^." ^"^^ '" '^'''"^^'' '™^^' 



PHILADELPHIA, PA., U.S.A. 



PUBLISHERS, IMPORTERS, STATIONERS, BLANK BOOK MANUFACTURERS, AND PRINTERS. 



STANDARD WORKS OF REFERENCE. 

Worcester's Dictionaries. Lippincott's Biographical Dictionary. Alliisoxe's Dictionary of Authors. 

Chambers's Encyclop/edia. Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World. United States Dispensatory. 

A large list of Scientific, Tlieological, Medical, Surgical, Poetical, and Miscellaneous Works. 

CATALOGUES FURNISHED ON APPLICATION. 




VIEW OF MARKET STREET, SHOWING LIPPINCOTT BUILDING. 



LIPPINCOTT'S MAGAZINE, 

the best monthly magazine published. Contains a Complete Novel in every number. 

STATIONERY 

in great variety, embracing many novelties. Everything requisite for the school, counting-house, or private use. 

BLANK BOOKS. 

Every description of Blank Book, from the smallest memorandum book to the largest ledger. Particular attention given 
to the manufacture of special books, with intricate patterns of ruling and printing. 

BOOK AND JOB PRINTING. 

All kinds of Printing done in the best manner. Books, Catalogues, Genealogies, Memorial Volumes, Pamphlets, etc. 
printed in English, French, Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese languages. 



J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY, 715 and 717 Market Street, Philadelphia. 



n 



Beauty is the Essence of True Womanhood^ a Magnet around 
which Clusters the Happiness of Mankind/^ 



*f*i»****f«**'i» 



EVERY woman knows the value of a beautiful complexion who has once possessed it, 
and, alas ! has lost it. Youth and beauty do not always go hand in hand, for 
nature has been niggardly with many and given them a bad skin. A young, 
beautiful face entrances the vision of the passing 
crowd. 

The day has gone by for a lot of tell-tale 
wrinkles as index to suffering, sorry disappoint- 
ment, and perhaps years. 

Madam Julia Mays has discovered through 
scientific research a process for the rejuvenating 
the face, which has been fully discussed and en- 
dorsed by the leading physicians in Europe and 
America. In no time has medical science made 
such rapid strides as within the past few years, and 
it is indeed wonderful to relate that woman needs 
to grow old in this age. 

By this wonderful process all scars, lines, or 
blemishes can be removed, and there has never 
yet been a failure. 

Madam Mays has a beautiful studio at 251 
Fifth Avenue, New York, where she can be con- 
sulted in person or by letter. She has been engaged by the society women of her own 
country and the nobility of Europe. This is the only process ever known to have been 
patronized and endorsed by the best physicians. 

This treatment is scientific, and any lady who subjects herself to the care and treat- 
ment of Madam Mays will not regret it, but, like all before her, she will be a life-long 
friend, especially when she can turn to her mirror and there see reflected the same young 
face, the lovely complexion of her girlhood days. 

It is woman's nature to be beautiful in spirit, it is her sphere to live in. 

Madam Mays is also a writer of considerable merit. Her book, " Beauty's Romance/' 
gives a brief history of beautiful women from the Roman Empire to the present day. 




MME. JULIA MAYS. 






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